A Concrete Goal
by xXxhurting-insidexXx
Summary: Entry In the "Keith Challenge" by AnimeRoxx. A peek inside Keith's mind as his sickness spreads through him; his journey as he falls in love with the one girl he can't have, and hurts her in the process because he doesn't want to put her through the pain of seeing him die. Rated M just for cursing and possible love scenes; SEQUEL COMING SOON!
1. Chapter 1

**So , As A Part of This Challenge I Just Read About , I Am Going To Satisfy My New Addiction..**

**Okay, So The Challenge Is To Either Write A Really Long Oneshot, Or A Multi-chaptered Fic, But It has To be At Least 10,000 Words Long (too easy for me to do) And The Pairing Has To be Natalie And Keith. So, Let's Begin Shall We? **

**Disclaimer: I Own Nothing, Except This Idea**

**A Concrete Goal**

**Part 1 **

He had it all figured out. He knew where he was headed, knew what he would never have, and now he knew how he would spend his last year of high school.

He skims through the middle school yearbook until he finds her. Natalie Anderson. The girl he'd thought of for as long as he could remember. Before he got sick, she'd been his fantasy. He had thought about asking her out a couple times, but when he finally got the courage to do it, he started changing.

At first it was just night sweats and headaches. Then, his muscles starting aching as well, and he started losing his breakfast. That's when he found the first lump under his arm. Scared, he'd told his dad. He'd been taken to the doctor, where his father's worst fears were confirmed: he had cancer. He sat there, not moving or speaking, just sitting, all his dreams going out the window.

After the first round of chemo, he became angry at everything. He started watching her, seeing how perfect she was and how oblivious to everything she was. He started to hate her, too.

His dad tried to distract him as best as he could, coming up with a plan to rebuild an old yellow truck. He though the truck was hopeless. The thing was falling apart and it looked like it'd never run. But, the more he and his father worked on it, the more he came to love the truck. And still, he watched Natalie Anderson's rise in popularity.

Night and day, he worked on the truck. He went to school, went to chemo, and started going to therapy after his father caught him holding a razor blade in his hand. He hadn't been trying to kill himself, only to try and forget.

Al was alright, he supposed, if a little too caring. The summer before senior year, he'd talked to Al, opening up only as much as was needed. And when he went home to his empty and cold room, he thought about how to make his last year of high school one that he wouldn't mind remembering.

When he woke up this morning, he had no idea that he was going to end seeing Al, only that he now knew what he was going to do.

Smiling to himself in the mirror, he sees her face in his mindset. Yes, by the end of this year, he would make her see the truth of her ignorance. It didn't matter how smart or beautiful she was... She didn't know that she'd become his concrete goal.

**ooo**

He walked into chemistry, seeing her sitting down at the lab station. With a small smile to himself, he walks over to her.

"Well, if it isn't Natalie Anderson, Miss Debate queen," he says, with a smirk. She places the beakers on the table.

"Zetterstrom?" She asks and he gives a nod.

"Haven't lied to ya this far, I'm not gonna start now." He notices how she smells of vanilla and flowers and closes his eyes for a second, taking it in. In six years, this is the closest he'd been to her, and it was staggering. He knew from pictures that she'd aged into a pretty girl, but in person? Oh man.

"You gonna help?" She asks him and he smiles and goes to turn on the Bunsen burner. She blows out the match he'd just lit and turns it off. "We don't need that for this," she continues.

He sighs.

"Look, you're not gonna be disagreeable, are you?" The look she gives him could have frozen water.

She turns back to the lab and he smiles to himself, even though his body aches. Gritting his teeth, he counts to thirty before releasing a breath.

The bell is almost like a relief, until he realizes he'd made no progress. With a sigh, he goes home. Thankfully his dad isn't there and so he goes into his room and picks up his pill bottles, taking them into the bathroom with him. He fills up a glass of water and opens up the bottles, taking one out of each and setting them down on the counter.

Standing there, he looks at the different colors and sizes of the pills, wondering once again, what would happen if he didn't take them and flushed them down the toilet. He sighs and shakes his head, grabbing one at a time and knocking them down with a sip of water. When the last one goes down, his eyes squeeze shut as a flash of pain goes through him. Taking deep breaths, he wills the pain away. By the time it passes, his hands have a faint tremor in them.

When he looks out the window, he sees it's gotten dark outside. He decides to go the cliff, hoping he might see her at The Brick. A foolish hope, but one he couldn't suppress.

**ooo**

The drive to the cliff seems so short, and yet so long. As he sits on the rock, his legs dangling off the edge, he watches the happy party-goers and a rush of envy fills him. Those _goddamn _kids had no idea how perfect their lives were. Especially her. He catches a flash of her blond hair in the firelight and is drawn to it.

She is the most selfish of them all, cocky and coy. He watches as she flirts with the transfer student, Rick Marquez, and jealousy aches his heart. He had no reason to be jealous over her, none. But it hurt all the same. Watching her smiling made him hate her all the more.

When the rain started, he still sat in his truck, wondering why he cared if it rained. A little rain wasn't what was going to kill him. Staring up at the sky, he allows a single tear to slide down his cheek, swallowing down the aching of his heart. Gripping the steering wheel, he can't help but remember his mom, wishing she were here so he could talk to her. He missed her.

He sighs once more before backing away and driving back home. When he gets there, his father is cooking something on the stove, but, unsurprisingly, he has no appetite.

"Keith," his father calls.

"Yea, Dad?" He asks.

"You hungry?" He catches the glimmer of hope in his father's eyes, and hates it.

"Yea, sure. But unless you wanna stick around for the aftershow, I suggest I don't," and with that he turns and walks away, ignoring his father calling his name. He slams his door closed and kicks out of his shoes, shrugging off his jacket before lying on the bed. The clock to his left says 9:54pm and he lets out a sigh. Grabbing his MP3 player from the nightstand, he plugs in his earphones and plays music, staring up at his ceiling.

**ooo**

**2 weeks later**

It'd been two weeks, two _fucking _weeks, and he was in no better mood than before. Except when he saw her. She brought out a light inside his darkness and it scared him. They talked during class occasionally, but still she refused to hang out with him after school.

"Come on, I'll pick you up at 5." She laughs and shakes her head.

"I can't, I'm busy."

"It's not a date, partner." She turns to look at him and he steels his heart. Her eyes seemed greener in this lighting, making her face brighten. He had to get a hold of himself.

"Maybe." She says, and with a smile, turns and walks away.

Sighing, he heads to his next class. When school ends, he gets in his truck and drives over to where she and her new boyfriend, Marquez, usually hang out. He holds up a sign and watches as she talks to him about something. He drives away, unsure of his decision.

When 5:00 rolls around, he has his truck parked across the street from her house. He wonders if she'll make an appearance. When she does, he can't tell if he's happy or angry that she did. But then she gets in the truck and he is relieved that she did. He had six months until graduation. Six months until he'd never see her again. He was going to make the most of it...Or die trying.

Unbeknownst to his thoughts, Natalie was having some pressing thoughts of her own. Who was Keith? Why was he not like other people? She had a boyfriend, so why did seeing Keith send butterflies through her stomach? She didn't know and, glancing over at the smile on his face, at the moment she didn't care. She was going to try something new. What was wrong with hanging out with Keith?

He was refreshing. He made her forget all her worries throughout the day, which should have warned her, but she ignored it, determined to figure him out.

"So, partner, where to?" His answering smile was dazzling.

"The sky's the limit."

**Alright, So, there Is The End Of The First part! I Think I am Going To Break This Up Into At Least Six More Parts, Or chapters if you Will. Let me Know What You Think! **

**xXxhurting-insidexXx**


	2. Chapter 2

**So, Here Is Part 2 Of This Fanfic...Enjoy**

**Disclaimer: I Own Nothing Except This Idea.**

**A Concrete Goal**

**Part 2 **

_**Month One**_

With the new year comes resolutions, new looks, and fresh starts. At least for most people.

Keith wasn't so sure. Coming back from winter break, he was hesitant and kinda weary about how she would react to the time apart. He hadn't seen her the entire time and he was worried that she'd changed her mind about being friends with him.

With a sigh, he looks up into the bathroom mirror, seeing the shadows under his eyes. Today was January 3. He officially had until June. He walks over to his closet, wrapped in nothing but a towel from the shower, and pulls out a pair of cargos and a shirt. Throwing them on, along with deodorant and some cologne, he grabs his jacket and truck keys, heading outisde in the brisk morning air.

During the entire drive, he wonders what he'll say to her, if anything. Will her hair be longer? Will she hate him again? His thoughts and worries plague him the whole way.

When he pulls into his parking space, he sees her car is already here. His heart stutters a bit and he hits the steering wheel in frustration.

_Keep your head, Keith. Remember the game plan! _He looks in the side mirror and sees her walking into the school, her hair a bit longer. He gives a small smile and gets out of the truck, following behind her at a safe distance.

She walks into English and he passes by, her scent wafting up through his nose. He breathes it in, closing his eyes momentarily. When he opens them, he feels a shove and his back hits the lockers.

"Watch where you're going, loser," Rafael Marquez's voice sounds out and he laughs, along with his group of buddies. He watches them go around the corner and sighs, straightening and heading to his first period. He sits in his Economics class with a heavy heart. She thought her boyfriend was so perfect and special. She really was ignorant.

After the event with Marquez, his heart hardens over, and he pushes away any warm feelings aside.

**ooo**

"Wait, Raff did _what_?" She asks Brooke as they sit in French, waiting for the bell to ring.

"Yea, he apparently shoved what's-his-face against the lockers this morning for no reason. Although, I can't really blame him, I mean, the guy's a total stalker." She turns her head down and looks at the worksheet Ms. Martinez placed on their desks. She couldn't believe Raff had done something so harsh.

"He's not a stalker, Brooke. Keith is actually pretty cool. He does things his own way."

"Whatever. As long as that freak doesn't fill your head with stupid fantasies, do whatever you want," she answers and Natalie can't believe the harshness of her tone.

When the bell rings, she heads to Chemistry and sits down, waiting for Keith. When he comes in, he doesn't even look at her. She tries to get his attention, but he just ignores her.

"Come on, partner, what's your problem?" She asks him and he finally meets her gaze. The teasing expression she'd last seen on his face is gone, and a chilling indifference has taken its place.

"Great guy, that Rafael. Now the Princess has everything, doesn't she? Stud boyfriend, perfect GPA, tennis champ. Tell me, just how is life up on Early Decision Tower, huh?" She balks at the bitterness in his voice and feels guilty, like she's the cause of it. She sees some of the coldness leave his face and she looks away, swallowing harshly.

She'd missed his teasing over the break, but she could see whatever sense of camaraderie that was between them was just dust.

"I'm sorry," she whispers. He laughs.

"Forget it, partner."

When the bell rings, she almost hopes he follows her, but today he doesn't. A sense of sadness fills her and, when she sees Raff, she can't even bring up the incident.

She goes to tennis, and wins the match. Her father reprimands her for letting an ace slip by her and she stares out the window, barely listening.

Later, she goes to The Brick with Raff, putting on a smile for everyone. And when she is back home, she stares in the mirror, wondering what's wrong with her.

The next day, she is on pins and needles, wondering if Keith will show. When he comes in to Chemistry, she lets out a breath she didn't know she was holding. They do an experiment and Miles assigns a lab report to be done after they finish.

They start on it, but don't finish before the bell rings.

"Allright, everyone! Your lab reports are due by next Friday. We'll have a quiz on Wednesday, so make sure you study! Have a good weekend, everyone." Keith is out the door before she can catch him and she sighs, heading to her last period.

**ooo**

Monday rolls around and still no word from Keith. She heads to practice that morning, thinking about her future.

When she gets to Chemistry, Keith is already sitting there.

"So, why Duke?" He asks as they do another experiment.

"I have a partial scholarship," she responds.

"It gonna get you a job in some big corporation?" She laughs.

"God, no. My dad used to work in a place like that. I wanna do something amazing with my life. So, where did _you _apply?" She retorts.

"Nowhere."

"Not going to college?"

"Not really my cup of tea."

"So than what are you doing after graduation?"

"The sky's the limit."

"That sounds like a challenge," she responds and he smiles.

"And you won't stop until you figure it out, Natalie Anderson."

"You're on," she answers. He turns his head so she won't see the bitter smile on his face. If she only knew.

**ooo**

By Thursday, she was near ready to scream. She'd not seen Keith all week and their lab report was due tomorrow. So, when the final bell rang, she followed him to his truck.

"Keith! Keith!" She called. He got in his truck and turned to face her.

"The lab report is due tomorrow," she tells him and he gives her a smirk.

"Ah, but the pressing question is how's Marquez?" He answers. She sighs.

"What happens between me and Raff isn't any of your business," she responds, hating how bitchy she sounds. "What about the lab report?"

"Hop in," he says.

"I have yearbook," she responds automatically. He puts the truck in Drive and starts to drive away, citing out the information she needs to finish the report. She hesitates for only a moment before running after him. "Wait!"

Ten minutes later, they're on bullet four of the report and she feels better.

"You know, starting your relationship based on lies probably isn't a good way. What's so wrong about telling him your spending a little bit with your lab partner, huh?" She bites her lip and looks down at the paper in front of her.

"My relationship is none of your business," she responds. "Okay, so the mole ratio is 2:1, so what could the oxidation numbers be for tin and oxygen?" He sighs.

**ooo**

He feels her eyes on him as he sighs and he grips the steering wheel a bit harder. He should feel good about the fact that she was lying to her boyfriend. It is what he wanted. So why did he suddenly feel like he shouldn't be doing this?

They finish the report and he takes her back to school, watching her retreating figure. He drives home and feels worse with each mile.

When he gets home, he barely makes it to the bathroom before he vomits, his stomach forcing up everything he ate today. He senses his dad coming into the bathroom and sits back on his heels when he finishes, wiping his mouth with the outstretched washcloth his dad is holding.

"The hospital called," his father responds. He stands up and grabs the counter to keep himself steady as he rinses out his mouth.

"What did they say?" He asks.

"They want to try something new," he responds. He scoffs.

"Like what? A magical injection? How about fairy dust?"

"They're going through the trials as we speak, but they said in another month or so that it'd be ready if we wanted to try it." He looks up at his father and sees the barely hidden pain.

"Is that what you want, Dad?" He asks. His father meets his eyes.

"I just want what's best for you." He nods and swallows.

"I'll do it." His father hugs him gently, knowing he's in pain, and releases him.

"I'll go make the call than," he answers.

When he father leaves, he goes into his room and lays down, falling asleep almost instantly.

He wakes up to the sound of his alarm going off. Rolling over, he sees that it's 5:00. With a sigh, he grimaces at the taste in his mouth and notices that he is covered in sweat. He gets up and sheds his clothing, heading into the bathroom for a shower. When he emerges, he brushes his teeth and combs his hair, seeing scars from previous surgeries and injuries.

He grabs a random pair of pants and a shirt, as well as his jacket. He heads out to his truck and starts it, heading off toward school. He parks and grabs out a pill and takes it dry, grimacing at the bitter taste. He pops out a mint tic-tac and gets out of the truck, walking into the school.

When he gets to Chemistry, he can't help the smirk when he sees her. They do an experiment and then a writeup and, while the two girls in front of them are distracted, he tips one of the beakers over, pouring some of the liquid onto the table.

"Oh, God," he says. Natalie looks up and moves the beaker.

"Be careful would you?" She asks.

"Am I gonna be in trouble for that? Are you gonna punish me?" He hopes she catches on and is secretly thrilled when she does.

She grabs a pencil and rests her chin on her hand. "I might have to."

"But you know how I feel about all that...And those spikey heels really hurt me."

"Keith," she says, scraping the tip of the pencil down his jaw line, stopping to poke it into his cheek, "you've been a very bad boy, and now you have to be punished." He closes his eyes and lets out a fake moan, fluttering his eyes open and looking down. "Do you mind?" She asks the two girls who'd been staring at us. They clear their throats and look away, embarrassed. She pinches his leg under the desk and he coughs to hide his laugh.

When the bell rings, he follows her. "So, I'll pick you up at 5:00."

"Keith, I have plans."

"Come on, I'll have you back by 9:00, I promise." She stops and looks at him. "It's not a date," he continues and she sighs.

"Fine."

Whens she turns and walks away, he smiles to himself, heading off to his last class.

**ooo**

All the reason why she shouldn't be meeting Keith vanish when she sees his yellow truck. She can't help the smile that spreads across her face. She forces it down as she walks out to meet him, climbing in next to him.

"So, where are we going?" She asks him and he smiles.

"Bowling." She gives him a look.

"Bowling? Why?" He doesn't answer her, only drives towards the town. After about fifteen minutes, he turns into the Salvation Army and she furrows her brow. "I thought we were going bowling."

"Changed my mind," he responds.

They go in and he finds a group of six different bowling balls.

"We only need two, though," she says dumbly as he points out the different ones.

"Ah, that would be true if we were actually doing some traditional bowling." he smiles up at her and she catches her breath. They grab the bowling balls and pay for them before heading out to his truck and placing them in the bed of it. When they get back in the truck, they head over to a body shop, where they watch a guy weld the bumper for the truck.

"Andy is an artiste," he tells her.

"That's nice, but you're running out of time," she responds.

"Not yet," he answers.

An hour later, they're sitting under the truck while he attaches the fixed bumper to the truck.

"So, you just go around getting spare parts for this and put it together?" She asks while she watches him tighten the bolts.

"I think of it as creating life using inanimate objects."

"And you do this all by yourself?" She asks. He sighs.

"Actually with my dad," he responds.

"Ah, so, is she your girlfriend than?" She teases and he looks up at her.

"Hold this tighter." She smacks her hand on the bumper to annoy him and he smiles. When he finishes, he kisses the bumper. "Don't worry honeybun, she's just jealous."

"Ah, so she is your girlfriend," she responds with a small smile. She glances down at her watch and looks up at him. "And you're out of time." She gets up and he sighs, squeezing the wrench tighter for a moment before releasing it. He pays Andy and they get in the truck, driving back to her house. She gasps and ducks down as she sees Raff pulling up to her house fifteen minutes early.

"Hah, he sure is prompt isn't he? I like that in a man."

"Shut up, you jerk. Drive around the corner." Her heart accelerates as she wonders what she'll say to him. Keith slows at a streetlight and she sits up, fixing her hair and making sure her makeup isn't messed up.

**ooo**

He watches her adjust her hair and makeup.

"Sneaking off into the night to meet your boyfriend...It's sexy," he jokes. She looks at him before continuing to check herself out. "So, I'll pick you up at 4:00." She turns to him.

"4:00?"

"AM. He'll be gone by then, right?" He manages to keep the jealousy out of his voice.

"What are we gonna do at 4:00AM?" He doesn't respond and she gives him a look. "Keith?"

"It's not a date," he says and he almost wishes it was. She gives him a last look before getting out of the truck. He fixes his mirror and swallows before calling back to her. "I'll pick you up here at our secret spot!"

He smiles to himself as he drives back home, knowing he's one step closer to bringing Her Highness down.

He goes home and showers, smiling to himself.

When it's 3:45, he heads out to his truck and starts over to their new spot. When he gets there, she is already there waiting.

"So, just think about the stories you'll be able to tell your kids one day about how awesome you were in high school and how you left a bowling ball on your teacher's front porch...And his name was Walter." He smiles and hands her a bowling ball with the name _Walter _engraved on the side. She shakes her head.

"I refuse." And yet, ten minutes later, she is hurrying up to his front porch and placing the ball in front of his door. She hightails it back to the truck and jumps in, closing the door. "Hurry up, you jerk!" He laughs and drives off.

They leave another one on Principal Sassen's porch, which he had the honors of doing.

By the time they get to Marquez's house, he can tell she is having some fun. Her face is flushed and he can't help but think that she's never been more beautiful to him.

"His name is Marquez," she says when she sees the initials _R.G._ engraved.

"It's the thought that counts," he responds. She sighs, but picks it up and runs, placing it on the grass beside his car.

He ducks down when he sees a cop car patroling the street. He doesn't see her run towards the truck, but feels her as she ducks down, her head landing next to his.

"We're so dead!" She cries out in a whisper. He takes out his tic-tacs and hands them to her.

"Take these if we run into any trouble."

"It's not funny, dipshit," she says. He chuckles when she covers her face as the spotlight roams over the truck. While it's covered, he glances at her and swallows again.

When the cop is safely away, he starts the truck again.

"So, ya hungry?" He asks. She looks over at him. "I'm buying," he coaxes and she laughs and shakes her head.

"I guess," she answers. He nods and heads over to a small cafe. They bring in the two last balls and order a coffee and two pieces of cherry pie.

He sips his coffee and watches her as she takes a bite of the pie, closing her eyes in enjoyment.

"You act like you never eat that," he says and she blushes.

"Actually, Mom put me on a diet a few months ago. Said I looked a little..._curvy_," she whispers, looking down in embarrassment. His shock is intense.

"And what does the boyfriend say?" He can't help but ask. Her face is scarlet now.

"He says it wouldn't hurt if I lost some weight." He can tell that the comment hurts her, but does not respond the way he wants to.

After a few minutes, she changes the subject.

"So, who gets these?" She asks, pointing towards the last two balls. He smiles.

**ooo**

As they drive away from the cafe, she can't help but feel a sense of peace within her as she glances up at him. His face is tired and she feels sorry.

"You shouldn't have come out this morning," she says softly. he looks down at her and raises an eyebrow.

"Oh yea? And why's that?" He asks.

"You look like you're dead on your feet, partner," she responds. He scoffs.

"Anythin' for you darlin'," he answers, pretending to pretend that he cares. She laughs and shakes her head. She can't help but wish that he actually did care.

When he drops her off at their spot, she glances over at him once more before giving him a smile and getting out of the truck. She jogs over to her house and opens the front door quietly, taking off her shoes and heading upstairs. As she nears her bathroom, she looks at herself in the mirror.

Her eyes are bright and her face is flushed. She smiles and turns the shower on, stripping off her clothes and getting into the warm spray. She didn't bother denying she'd had fun.

When she goes into her room, she grabs out a pair of sweats and a shirt, putting them on and climbing into bed to sleep for a couple of hours.

When she wakes up, the sun is shining through her window. She sighs and lets out a breath, shaking her head and feeling like this morning had been a dream.

**ooo**

When he finally woke up, he squeezes his eyes shut once more. The pain that coursed through him is enough to make him let out a moan of pain. Everything hurt. When his dad walks in a few minutes later, he doesn't hesitate before calling the hopsital.

Since he was due for another round of chemo anyways, they decided to head up there.

When he enters the doors in a wheelchair, he hears a frantically ecstatic voice.

"_Keith!_" He turns his head and sees Billy sitting in a chair, already hooked up to an IV.

"I'm gonna kick your ass," he tells him and manages a smile.

"I'm gonna kick your ass," Billy responds. He sees Al nearby and gives him a nod.

When they hook him up to an IV, he lets out a sigh, trying to relax against the massaging chair. He listens to Billy talking, looking up at the ceiling.

After an hour, they put him back in the chair and wheel him into a room, helping him into the bed. He lies there for ten minutes before the nausea comes. He leans over, vomiting, coughing and spitting into the bed pan next to him. When he finishes, he leans back and breathes heavily, feeling the prick of tears in his eyes.

It didn't matter. He had a plan. _Remember the fucking plan! _He grits his teeth and tries to focus on that instead of the ache he feels deep inside himself.

A nurse comes in a few minutes later, along with his father.

"So, how long am I gonna be here this time, chief?" He asks the doctor. The doctor gives him a smile.

"And how are you, Keith?" He doesn't answer. "Well, you can go home tomorrow, but I would take it easy for the next few days. You can still go to school, but try not to exert yourself too much."

"So, no fantasy football?" He asks and the nurse blushes slightly.

"Keith," his father reprimands.

"It's a joke," he responds. The doctor smiles.

"It's alright, Keith." With another smile, they exit, leaving Keith and his father.

"How's the truck?" His father asks.

"Fine. Andy fixed the bumper on her and I'm waiting for the new carbuerator to come in." His father nods and he sighs. He closes his eyes and swallows a couple times.

"Do you need anything?" He asks.

"A SlimJim and a Twinkie, and a water," he responds automatically. His father laughs.

"Well, at least your diet hasn't changed," he responds. When he leaves, he breathes a sigh of relief.

**ooo**

Monday morning rolls around and it's a struggle to get out of bed. The pain is back, as well as the nausea, and he has to swallow three times to keep last night's supper down.

His dad knocks and he takes one look at him before speaking.

"If you want to go in late, you can," he says and he gives him a nod.

By the time he feels well enough to go to school, there is only two classes left. He smiles a little as he walks into Chemistry as the bells rings, taking his seat next to Natalie.

"Had a nice weekend?" He asks, knowing she saw her boyfriend.

"Actually, I did. And what did you do, pull the wings off of flies?" Her response is more harsh than usual and his brow furrows.

"What's the matter, darlin', wake up on the wrong side of Marquez's bed?" He knew it was the wrong thing to say, but he couldn't help it. The glare she gives him is enough to keep him quiet for the rest of the class.

**ooo**

When class ends, she makes her way to her car, feeling the frustration from the weekend pouring around her.

Raff wanted her to go away with him the following weekend, but she wasn't sure. They'd gotten into an argument about what he'd done to Keith, and he's denied it happening. He'd brought up how defensive she was about Keith and asked what had really been going on with them. The whole thing was going out of control and she fought tears.

By Friday, she wanted to let go and relax, but neither Keith nor Raff were interested in seeing her. So, she asked her brother, Zach, if they could go hang out.

"What's up, Nat? Need a night out?" She nods and he smiles. He takes her to a club he knows about and she gets a black X put on the back of her hand showing she is underage and they walk in. The music is blaring and she closes her eyes for a moment, letting the beat soak into her. He leads her over to a table where a group of people sit. She'd seen them all before, but didn't know them very well. They smiled and greeted her.

After a little while, she began to relax, ignoring her phone when Raff tried to call her.

When they left the club, it was well past 2AM. She knew her parents and Raff would be pissed, but she felt good, hanging out with her brother.

"Thanks for tonight," she tells him as they exit his car and walk up their driveway.

"No prob, Nat. You need a night out every once and a while...Without your boyfriend," he says and she smiles.

She goes into her room and lays on the bed, smiling as the lyrics from one of the catchier songs floats through her head. She would deal with all of this soon; right now, she needed to think.

And think she did. She barely saw Raff, except on Fridays where they met up at The Brick, because of tennis matches, and Keith barely spoke to her in class. She missed his presence, but couldn't tell him that.

Before she knew it, February was around the corner. She sighs and looks up at the calendar. January 31, it says back to her. She would see Raff and Keith on the third, which was Monday. But for now, she was alone. How empty she felt as she thought about Keith. She grabs out her old photo album and leafs through it, leanding on the picture of the sixth grade play. And it was there that she saw Keith standing in his Russian Soldier uniform. She couldn't help the smile that spread across her face.

_Uh, hello, Earth to Natalie! RAFF is your boyfriend, so stop thinking about Keith._

With a sigh, she lays back and goes to sleep, anxious for something...But she didn't know what.

**Well, Part 2 is Finished And I Am Working On Part 3 As You Read This. Please Read And Review And Let Me Know What You Think!**

**xXxhurting-insidexXx**


	3. Chapter 3

**And, I Am Back Once Again With Part 3 Of This Fic...I Think This Is the Fastest I Have Ever Written A Fic, And By Morning, I Will be so Sluggish And Brain-Dead That I Won't Be Able To Write For A Week XD Anyways, This is For **_**AnimeRoxx**_**'s Challenge, So I Hope She Enjoys this...**

**Disclaimer: I Do Not Own Keith Or Natalie, Only this Idea**

**A Concrete Goal**

**Part 3 **

_**Month 2**_

Five months. He had five months to reach his outcome. And already he felt like a failure and a fool. He was nowhere near closer to ruining her reputation than he was finding a cure for himself. Hell, he wasn't even sure he wanted a cure for himself.

He was ready to go into the unknown. He knew his time was limited, but he had already gone through the stages. He accepted it. That doesn't mean he isn't miserable, however. He looks over at the calendar on his nightstand. February 3, Monday.

He sighs, sitting up and rolling his head to crack his neck. It was little over a week until the dreaded Valentine's Day, and he wondered what she would be doing for the event. _Probably a sweet night in bed with Marquez_, he tells himself. Shaking his head, he stands and goes into the bathroom to brush his teeth and comb his hair.

When he finds some clothes, he throws them on, not very anxious about the day.

He didn't understand why some people could just wake up every day of their lives with a smile on their face, loving the world. He was lucky just to be able to wake up each day. He was glad for that, but also hesitant. The longer he lived, the sooner he wouldn't be here anymore. He'd given up on living months ago. He saw no point in it. He had nothing to lose.

When he pulls up, he sees her car and allows a small smile to escape. He exits the truck and makes his way into the school. He doesn't get very far when a hand comes out and slams him into the lockers.

"What the hell?" He asks, and looks up into Rafael Marquez's face.

"Stay the hell away from my girl," he snaps at him, pressing his forearm into his neck. He stares at him steadily.

"I didn't realize you owned her," he replies and he is slammed into the lockers again. By now, there is a group of people watching. His head is throbbing from the force and he grits his teeth.

"Shut the hell up, you freak," he retorts. "If you don't, you'll regret it." And with that, he punches him in the stomach, forcing him to his knees. He holds his stomach with one hand while trying to stay conscious. The wave of nausea is so powerful, he almost loses it right there. He looks up and watches Raff walk away, laughing with his friends. People walk around him, not bothering to stop, whispering to each other.

When he manages to get up, the first bell has already rung. He walks in late, and doesn't care. The teacher knows his situation, so she doesn't say anything. And by the time he gets to Chemistry, the whispers have become full-blown conversations and wide-eyed stares.

He sees her already sitting down and sits beside her, resenting her. She is startled by him and looks up at him.

"Are you okay?" She asks. He laughs.

"Why wouldn't I be, partner? Nothing better than seeing your boyfriend in the morning." She winces and he raises an eyebrow.

"Can we do the lab?" She asks quietly and he obliges. They end up being the first ones finished and she tries to talk to him again. "About Raff..." He cuts her off.

"Don't worry about it, partner. It was a joke." He knew she could tell he was lying, but he refuses to say anything else. When the bell rings, he doesn't look back, even though she calls his name.

**ooo**

To say she was furious was an understatement. She blatantly forgot to meet up with Raff after school and went straight home to get ready for the tennis match. He tried calling, but she ignored it.

She lost the match. She didn't know if it was an accident or on purpose, but something inside of her felt triumphant. Something she could actually control. Of course, her parents reprimanded her, but she didn't pay attention to them.

Later that night, she decided to finally answer Raff.

"Hello?" She asks.

"What the hell, Natalie? Why didn't you answer me?" She sighs.

"I heard about what you did, Raff. Why would you do something like that?"

"Why do you care, Natalie? Is something going on between you two?"

"No, Raff. But just because I hang with him sometimes, does not mean you can go and threaten him!" He sighs irritably.

"He has a crush on you," he replies and she laughs.

"He has a crush on his truck, Raff."

"You encourage him!" He yells back.

"I do not," she says hotly.

"Everyone can see it, Natalie. You're letting that freak mess with your head." He sighs. "I'm sorry."

She rubs her forehead and sighs back.

"Whatever, Raff. I gotta go."

"Bye."

"Bye."

With a huge sigh, she lays back onto her mountain of pillows and blinks away tears. Raff is getting too possessive and Keith...Well, she didn't know what Keith was trying to do. One minute he's talking and joking around, the next he's angry and cold. Everything felt so blurred and surreal and she didn't know what to think.

By Friday, she's no closer to finding an answer. Raff comes over after school for dinner and it is a tense event. Her and Zach pass the vegetables back and forth continuously, allowing Raff to take the spotlight.

Afterwards, they are in her bedroom, looking at pictures of his uncle's cabin.

"It's ours whenever we want it," he responds and she feels a tiny tendril of giddiness rise up within her. A knocking at her door makes her stand upright and Zach opens the door, holding a box.

"Uh, some guy with a truck dropped this off." She reaches over and grabs it from him, setting it on the bed next to her. She opens it and pulls out a metal thing.

"What is this?" She asks. Raff picks up a box and reads aloud.

"Carburetor tune-up kit...'guaranteed not to lower your GPA'," she looks up at the notecard in his hands and sees a message on the back. _Meet partner at 9 for non-date_

"I don't know why he does this shit," she responds, taking the card from him before he can read the back.

"Thought you said nothing was going on," he answers and she looks up.

"Please don't start, Raff. I didn't ask him to drop this off, okay? So, can we just drop it?" She reaches over for a tissue to clean off her hands and he sighs.

"Whatever, are you coming?"

"Actually, I gotta take a shower. But I'll meet you there." He gives her a kiss and leaves, allowing her to let out a relieved breath.

She changes her clothes and rushes out to meet Keith at 9. She comes around the side and jumps when she sees he is wearing goggles.

"Hop in," he says with a smirk. She shakes her head.

"I'm not going anywhere with you."

"Great, than I can come in and watch some TV with the folks," he responds and she shakes her head.

"No." The smirk doesn't leave. "No." It stays there. "_No_." He smiles a bit wider and she sighs and gets in the truck. They drive for a few minutes before they come to a crossroads.

"Cool...The crossroads scene."

"You know, you can't expect me to just drop everything and come play whenever you want. I need to be a part of the plan whenever you want to hang out."

"Plan? What plan? There is no plan."

"Oh please," she says irritatedly, "you've got some scenario worked out in your head."

"Is that what you think?" In fact he did, just not the kind she was thinking of. "You know what I don't understand is why Natalie Anderson is bumming it with a truck geek like me anyways. No one is making you do anything. You're free to go whenever you choose. Just leave, go...Get outta here," he mutters and he feels her eyes on him as she stares at him before getting out of the truck.

She turns to him and speaks.

"You know, I thought you were different, but you're _not_," she hisses. He looks over at her, swallowing. "You're just another immature little boy. I am wasting my time here," she says and walks away. His face contorts in a mixture of anger and pain before he sees her coming up on his side. "And what about you, huh? Why don't you just leave? Go on, just go." If only she knew the power those words had on him.

He starts to respond when a car pulls up beside them. Billy gets out and a momentary fear paralyzes him.

They talk for a couple of minutes before Billy and Al leave. He looks down and lets out a small breath, looking up and seeing her still standing there.

"You're such a guy," she says, but smiles. "Only it turns out you're a big softie." She gets back in the truck and his eyes close as a wave of relief floods through him. "So, how do you know them?"

"They're CIA...Can't trust 'em," he responds and she shakes her head.

"That boy, Billy? He looks up to you," she continues. He gives her a small smile that she manages to return.

They continue driving and her argument with Raff floats through her mind.

**ooo**

He notices she's preoccupied, and hates that he notices. It's none of his business.

He can't help but wonder what goes on in her head, how she thinks through things. Whenever he expects her to do or say something, she does the exact opposite. He never knows what to expect with her. The notion is both exciting and irritating.

"So...where we goin partner?" She asks eventually.

"The sky's the limit," he says to her and she sighs.

"Turn left," she says at one point and he slows, trying to keep his shock from his face.

"Why this road?" He asks.

"Why? Since when do we care about the 'why'? There is no why, right?" He smiles and he turns, gunning the truck around the corners, smiling as she squeals and laughs.

"Really funny," he comments.

"What is?" She laughs again.

"That you chose this road." He pulls up to the cliff and stops the truck, parking it. He gets out and walks over to the ledge, sitting against a rock. A fire is going across the lake over at The Brick and she gasps when she sits down.

"So, that's The Brick," she says softly and he nods. "I've never been over here before."

"And I've never been over there," he comments back. "So, how does Her Highness feel about not wearing her crown for an evening?" She looks at him, but his hands wrap around one of his knees as he brings it up closer to him. His other leg stretches out and she shakes her head.

"Down there...It's like, everyone is out to find the worst dirt they can on everyone there. It's all about the latest fashions, boy gossip, and getting as smashed as you can to the point that you hook up with anyone who would have you..."

"Ah, essential knowledge that is," he responds, wondering if she'd ever participated. The thought disgusted him and he had to restrain himself from scooting away from her.

"They live and die by that shit down there."

"And did the Princess ever take part?" Her shock and hurt is palpable.

"You honestly think I would do that?" He shrugs.

"Stranger things have happened," he responds.

"I suppose...But up here, it's different. And you..." She trails off and he glances at her.

"What?"

"You don't care...You're just you. It's peaceful...It's why I like you, partner." His breath catches at her words. _Got you_. He shrugs.

"Yeah, whatever that is, I guess."

"Don't worry...It's a good thing. A really good thing." He bites his lip, looking down and then up, before looking at her and back again.

"Yeah." She looks up at him and he can't hold himself back. He leans over and places a hand on her cheek, kissing her. The feeling is like a bolt of lightning, shocking him to the soles of his feet. It doesn't last for more than a few seconds, but when she pulls back, he wonders if he screwed up.

"We should probably leave," he comments. "We're lab partners, and this is strictly a lab partnership. Not to mention how upset Walter would be..." With that, he gets up and walks over to the truck, rubbing the spot where her lips were on his. He gets in the truck and waits for her to follow.

**ooo**

As soon as she had uttered the words that she liked him, she didn't know in which way, and it scared her. But then she felt his lips on hers...And everything melted away. A bolt of electricity went through her at the sensation of his lips against hers. It ended, too soon it almost seemed, but when it did, reality sunk in. She had a _boyfriend_, who was _not _Keith.

She got back in the truck, and things were tense for a couple of minutes. Then, as they were driving down a street, she looked to her left and saw, sitting beside a trash can, a blue bowling ball.

Helplessly, she bursts out laughing.

"You losin' it partner?" He asks and she shakes her head, pointing. When he sees what she was looking at, he smiles with her.

And then, things were back to normal.

All too soon, however, she was at her house and heading up the stairs to her room. First thing she did was to call Raff.

"Hey gorgeous, you ready?"

"Actually, I'm pretty beat from today. I probably should have told you before you left...I don't really feel up to going to The Brick tonight."

"But we _always _go to The Brick," he says, a twinge of irritation seeping through his tone. She doesn't hear it.

"I know...I'm just not feeling it tonight."

"Alright, whatever. Get some sleep, I guess," he says. They hang up and she lays back on her bed, replaying those few seconds with Keith. She bites her lip, still tasting him on her. She smiles. Tic-tacs and SlimJims. She wondered why he always had Tic-tacs on him, but shrugged the thought away.

**ooo**

When Monday rolls around, the entire school is in a frenzy of excitement. Friday is Valentine's Day and it was the day that the Freshmen and Sophomores delivered the Heart-o-grams to people. She walks around, seeing the halls are now decorated with pinks and reds and white.

Brooke finds her after first period.

"Okay, we have a serious problem," she tells her, grabbing her hand and leading her to the Yearbook room. Once there, she sees the chaos that ensues.

"What's the problem?" She asks Brooke. Brooke leads her to a table where a few other girls crowd around.

"Okay, you see this? This is not enough pictures to fill up three pages, Natalie. What the hell are we gonna do?" The other girls look up at her and she sighs.

"Okay, who's in charge of photos?" She asks. Two girls raise their hands.

"We are." They say in unison.

"Okay, so if we have two people covering photos, why do we only have enough for one page?" The girls look at each other.

"Because someone stole the camera with the rest of the pictures." She furrows her brow.

"What do you mean, someone stole the camera?"

"It was in my gym bag in my locker. When I got back from P.E., all my stuff was strewn about the floor, and the camera was gone. No one else knows my combination. Someone broke the lock." She sighs, irritated.

"Did you go to Sassen?" She asks and they nod. "Alright, well, in the mean time, take some pictures with your phones and we'll transfer them to the computers here. Alright?" She asks.

After another ten minutes, she finally makes her way to class. She apologizes to her teacher and he waves it off. She sits down and begins the work on the board. When she finishes, she wonders what will happen on Friday. She doesn't know what to expect.

When she gets to Chemistry, Keith is already there and waiting for her. He gives her a smile as she sits down.

"Ah, love is in the air," he says. "Quite a...Shall we say, _enthusiastic_, time of year."

"Got a hot date, partner?" She asks, faking a country twang.

"Well, pumpkin love, I do believe I do," he replies. Her heart drops for a moment before she recovers, hoping he didn't see the flash of disappointment on her face. She hopes he's joking.

"Oh, really? Well, what's her name?" He flashes her a smile.

"Honey bun." She gives him a confused look before she recalls what he called his truck the day they were watching Andy weld the bumper. She turns and hides her face with her hair so he doesn't see her flush of embarrassment. "And you?"

"Well, if Deddy will let me out, I think I might just have one, I think. I mean, it's been hard on him, having to raise us eleven kids." He coughs out a small laugh and they turn to the lab.

The days drag on until Friday rolls around. When she opens her eyes, nothing seems different. Her clothes are still where she left them, her computer is still on, the carburetor parts are still organized on her desk...But, something feels different.

When she gets to school, the excitement that had built all day seems to have exploded. The halls seemed fuller, louder. People were carrying flowers, cards, chocolates, and stuffed plushes. When she gets to her locker, there is a single rose taped to it. She pauses as she gazes at its intense beauty; the rose is white and the tips are blood-red. She'd never seen anything like it. She gives a small smile, picking it off and pressing the soft petals to her nose, breathing in the scent.

"Is that from Keith?" She freezes when she hears Raff's angry voice. She turns to him and he looks pissed.

"What?"

"That rose...It's from Keith isn't it?" Momentary fear grips her.

"Raff, calm down. There's no note, okay? Anyone could have done it. It's happened before," she said quickly, wincing when she sees his expression darken further.

"This is bullshit," he spits, walking away.

When the heart-o-grams are delivered, in Chemistry as her luck would have it, she gets a few from Brooke and her other friends, one from Raff, and an anonymous one. She stares at the handwriting, wondering who could have done it. She glances over at Keith's notebook, but sees that his writing is different from the one on the card.

"Ah, secret admirer?" He asks, not looking up from his writing.

"I don't know. Probably someone playing a stupid joke," she says, although the note inside makes her insides melt. Having read it three times over, the words are burned in her mind: _for each petal on this rose is a moment of you that is cherished; a gorgeous flower for a gorgeous heart_.

**ooo**

He smiles to himself. No doubt the rose he left on her locker this morning made some sort of impression on her. He sees the red and white petals sitting on top of the pile of others she'd gotten in class. But, he knew that the one from an anonymous person had definitely made an impact.

She'd never know they were both from him.

When class ends, he heads off, smiling secretly to himself. He doesn't get very far when someone grabs his shirt and pulls him back, making him fall on the ground. He looks up into Marquez's eyes. _What the fuck? _

"What's your problem, man?" He asks, standing up and fixing his bag.

"You're my problem, freak. I know you put that rose on her locker. I told you to stay the hell away from her!"

"Marquez, really, I'm flattered that you would think I did it, but what reason would I have for doing it? Come on man, if I was going to give her flowers, I'd make sure it was more than just one single flower, and I would do it in person, not tape it to a locker."

"Shut the hell up," he says, grabbing him by his shirt front. "One more time, freak. Stay the hell away from her. She thinks you're a creep. We have a laugh about you every time we see each other." He didn't know whether to trust him, but the words hurt in ways he never imagined. With a final shove, he walks away.

He swallows hard, looking down as the words sink into him. Everything was screwing up. This wasn't the way it was supposed to happen. _Damn it all to hell!_ He punches a locker and decides to skip the rest of the day. He goes to the nurse and tells her that he's not feeling well. She takes a single look at him and gives him a pass to go home.

Maybe being a dying kid really did have its privileges.

**ooo**

She was nervous. The entire ride, Raff had been cold and distant. When they finally get to his house, he leads her into his bedroom and sits her down on the sofa. They drink some champagne for a few minutes before he starts kissing her.

She notices right away that the shock she felt with Keith...Isn't here. They kiss for a few minutes, before he pulls away.

"You ever done this before?" She gives him a look.

"I've kissed, yea."

"Not that..." She blushes and shakes her head.

"No. But, when I do that...I want it to be," he cuts her off.

"Don't worry. I got it all figured out. No rush," he says, and she closes her eyes, missing the dark expression that passes over his face. He presses a kiss to her forehead and she sighs.

Later, after he drops her off, she stands in her bathroom, trying to see what happened. She liked Raff, a lot, but something was missing. She didn't want to think too long about it.

Around 1:00, she heads to their secret spot, where he's waiting in his yellow truck. A smile breaks out across her face when she sees the familiar color. She climbs in and they head off to the cliff. When they get there, they lay in the truck bed with their feet dangling off the sides.

"See, there's Orion's Belt," he points out. Their cheeks touch and he pulls back. She smiles and nods.

"And there's the Big Dipper." They point out constellations for another few minutes before she turns to him. "Alright, partner. I got a scene for you."

"Shoot," he says.

"It's the scene where you tell the truth." He laughs.

"A big confession scene?"

"Mm-hmm." They lay there for a few minutes before she speaks again. "So, what are you really doing after high school?" He sighs.

"I'm going to London." Her excitement is almost unbearable.

"Really? Me too, with Raff, and Brooke..."

"Not _that _London," he says gently, interrupting her. "London, Ontario. There's an annual truck show there every July." She laughs, shaking her head.

"So...You really are a truck geek." He sighs, exasperated.

"See? I open up to you and you rag on me."

"No...Only because I know that you have dreams bigger than a truck show. You're selling yourself short."

"Well, the sky's the limit, right?"

"Actually, yea it is."

"You sure about that?' He asks and she detects an amount of teasing.

"Yea." She looks back up at the night sky when she feels the truck creaking. "Are...are we moving?" She sits up and feels the trucks tires turning as they slowly go towards the ledge. "Keith...We have a serious problem here."

"It's like we're in space on a secret mission..."

"Keith, come on!"

"I believe there's some sort of alien intruder on board..."

"Keith, hurry! Get up!"

"And it's taken over the body of our trusted copilot, Natalie Anderson..."

"Keith get up, come on!" Her cries are frantic.

"_Keith, get up_, she says," he mocks gently, appearing not to hear her.

"Keith you're gonna get yourself killed!" She's trying to stop the truck now.

She falls and watches the truck continue to crawl towards the ledge. Fear paralyzes her.

"Shit! _Keith_!" She yells.

**ooo**

He contemplates just letting the truck go over. He didn't want to do this anymore. But, hearing her terrified screams does something to him.

"Keith, _please_!" As soon as she says the word, his heart kicks into overdrive and he leaps up, opening the door and sliding into the truck, pressing the break right as the truck hits the ledge. He sits there, swallowing tightly as he grips the steering wheel. She comes around to the side, her face angry. "What the _hell _was that?" She demands. "Do you have a death wish?" If she only knew. "You could have died!"

"Not to mention what would have happened to my truck," he comments, appearing unfazed.

"Oh, oh...Just nice," she snaps, turning to pace away from the truck.

He grips the steering wheel even harder and takes a deep breath, feeling a wave of pain course through him. When she gets back in the truck, he backs away and takes her back home.

"Did you want to go over?" She asks.

"I wasn't even close," he responds.

"Yes you were! You were at the ledge."

"You don't know what 'close' is," he says, angry.

"Don't give me any stupid lines. I know what 'close' is," she hisses at him. He looks into his side mirror, giving a small smile to himself.

"Good night, partner," he says gently. She scoffs and gets out of the truck. Closing his eyes, he swallows, opening them and forcing a smile.

He drives home and goes to sleep. When he wakes up the next day, he and his father head to the hospital.

When he is admitted, they hook him up to the IV and the doctor explains the process.

"Okay, so this new strand is designed to attack the bad cells and try to replace them with good cells, alright? Now, this will take several treatments before we'll see results, so it'll be at least a week, maybe longer, before you'll be able to return home and to school, alright?" He nods, barely hearing him. He wonders where his jacket is and a slice of fear cuts him.

Natalie has his jacket...With his pills inside. His eyes close and he grips the sheet tight in his hands. No doubt, she'd be nosy. With a sigh, he relaxes against the pillows.

**ooo**

Monday rolls around and she heads to school, anxious to see Keith. But when she gets to Chemistry, he doesn't show. And the next day, same thing.

All week, she waits for him to come to class, but he never shows. In frustration, she goes to Mr. Miles, desperate for answers.

"Where is he? I mean, I'm trying to learn this stuff, and he's just blowing it off. I need to pass the APs," she tells him, watching as he puts bottles away.

"He's going through a tough time right now," he says. It stops her in her tracks.

"Tough how?" he sighs. "Is there anything I can do?"

"I knew this was a bad idea," he says, almost to himself.

"What?"

"Partnering you guys."

"But I thought it was random," she says, exasperated. He gives a slight shake of his head.

"He chose me?" He lifts his eyes up to her before looking down. "Keith _chose _me?"

"I'll make sure he gets your notes," is all he says. She scoffs and turns away.

When she gets home after losing another match, she digs out the pill bottle she'd found the last night she'd seen him. _Triptopax_, it said. She typed it in the search box and it popped up.

_Triptopax XR: used mainly in cases of severe depression_

She pauses with her hands on the keys. She feels cold and her fingers tremble. Depression. Keith was depressed? Why?

A wave of anger courses through her. He didn't tell her. Why didn't he tell her?

**ooo**

When Monday rolls around again, he still hasn't shown. She's kept his jacket in her locker, waiting for him to come back.

She sees Raff more, although he wants to take things further. She's not ready for that sort of thing, and he seems to understand. She's glad he does.

But, when Friday comes around again, she's in an even worse mood. She'd lost yet another match and her parents were becoming irritating.

"Want me to come in?" Raff asks as they stop at her house.

"Maybe..No...Shit, I'm not sure. I'm just really tired from the match. I think I need to sleep it off or whatever."

"Got plans with Keith?" He asks and she looks at him.

"Where did that come from?"

"Do you?" He asks again.

"As a matter of fact, I have absolutely no plans with Keith. Even if I did, what's the problem? Am I only allowed to be seen with you? I hang with a lot of people, Raff. You can't tell me who I can and can't hang out with."

"Hey, the match is over, alright? Just get some sleep."

"I'll talk to you later," she says and kisses his cheek.

"Yeah, whatever. Bye."

She makes her way into her room, ignoring her mother's demands that they talk. She lays in bed the whole weekend, feeling miserable. She didn't understand what was happening.

When Monday finally rolls around, she's shocked to see that it is March 3. It's been nearly two weeks since Keith had vanished. With a sigh, she gets up, showers, and gets dressed. She makes her way to school feeling like a zombie. Maybe today would be different. She laughs, because for two weeks she'd been telling herself the same thing over and over. And it never was.

**Alright, Guys. There is The End of Part 3! I Am Already Writing Part 4 In My head And OH MY GOODNESS, is It Going To Get Heated! Hope You Enjoy!**

**xXxhurting-insidexXx**


	4. Chapter 4

**Alright, Here We go Guys! Part 4...This Is Almost Over And I'm Quite Sad About That. Anyways, Hope You All Enjoy.**

**Disclaimer: I Do Not Own Keith Or Natalie, Or Raff; I Only Own The Idea Of This Fic**

**A Concrete Goal**

**Part 4 **

_**Month 3**_

After two weeks, he was finally able to go back to school. He looks over at the calendar and sees that he's lost a lot of time. It's March 3 already.

Throwing on a pair of pants and a shirt, he heads out to his truck, wondering how he will ever make up for the lost time. He goes through the motions, not even trying to pay attention.

He'd gotten Natalie's notes for Chemistry, as well as his other assignments from his other classes. He smiled thinking about the elegant scrawl she used. Before Chemistry, the past two weeks caught up with him.

He manages to find an empty bathroom in time to throw up. He coughs and spits into the toilet, breathing heavily. He flushes and sits there for a few minutes, eventually standing and rinsing his mouth out with water. He splashes some water on his face and looks into the mirror. He'd gotten paler and the shadows underneath his eyes were more prominent. With a sigh, he pops a few Tic-tacs in his mouth, letting the soothing mint calm his stomach.

When he opens the door to Chemistry, he sees everyone is taking a quiz.

"Oh, a quiz! Sweet," he says. "Thanks, Walt," he says, taking a quiz from his hands. He goes over and sits next to her, seeing how her eyes dart up to his face. He finishes the quiz in record time and, when the bell rings, he is putting things in his locker when she comes up to him, holding his jacket. "Oh, hey partner," he comments."

"Where were you the last two weeks?" She demands.

"Two weeks? You mean, you _actually _come here every day?"

"Don't joke around. There's something wrong with you, isn't there?" He winces. She didn't hold her punches.

"With me, sure. Definitely with you. But these sexy freshmen right here," he says, pretending to check out a girl who walks past.

"What? Are you depressed or something?"

"Depressed? Yea, sure, I'll throw it out there. Chicks dig it."

"I'm being serious," she says.

"Right...Never works, partner."

"You could have told me," she says, holding up his jacket and the bottle of pills. He takes them from her.

"Told you what?" He asks, hating how she knows a part of him.

"That you, had a problem," she says. He laughs and closes his locker, meeting her eyes. He snatches the jacket and pills from her.

"You have no idea," he says. Just then, Rafael chooses this moment to come up to them.

"What's going on?" He asks. Natalie hardens and tucks a strand of hair behind her ear.

"Hey, Raff," she says. He gives her a look and she bites her lip, looking down. What the _hell _happened while he was away?

"The jacket," he continues, as if she'd never spoken.

"You like it? I got it from K-mart," he says and Marquez glares at him.

"I-I was cold, and he lent it to me," she says. It was the truth, but the look on Marquez's face was full of doubt.

"Come on, you don't expect him to believe that, do you?" He asks. "See, Raff, we're part of this super top-secret jacket smuggling ring. Now, I can't make any promises, but if you keep quiet, I'm sure there's a fleece in there somewhere for you."

"Does it look like I'm talking to you?" He demands.

"Hey, don't get mad at me, man. I don't create the demand, I just supply it."

"Shut the hell up," he says, taking a step closer.

"Raff," Natalie says, finding her voice. "It's just a jacket. That's it." He turns his glare on her.

"This is bullshit," he tells her and storms off. She sighs and gives me a small smile before taking off after him.

"Marquez, it was a joke," he says, sighing and shaking his head.

**ooo**

When school ends, he is walking towards his truck when he hears her calling his name.

"Why did you choose me to be your lab partner?" She demands. He laughs.

"Me?" _Because I wanted to take you down...I wanted to get to know you..._

"Don't bullshit me, Miles told me," she says and he shakes his head, continuing to walk.

"He's CIA, ya can't trust them." She grabs ahold of his arm and pulls him to a stop, turning him.

"Where do you live?"

"What?" He demands.

"Where do you live? You lied about it," she said.

"Are you losin' it, partner?"

"You lie about everything!"

"Cause you know what? I got some great pills you could take...But I guess you already knew that," he says and turns, ignoring her hurtful gasp.

When he gets in his truck, he slams his hand on the dashboard.

"Shit," he curses, leaning back against the headrest. He starts the truck and drives around the city before heading home. He wonders how long it'll take her to search for his real address. He was actually surprised that she'd gone to the house he'd said was his.

The next day, when he gets to Chemistry, he smiles to himself when he hears that she'd been suspended. And when he goes to his newly repaired locker, he knows why. She broke into his locker. He couldn't stop the flush of admiration and stubbornness she possessed. He knew that he wouldn't see her for at least a week, and the thought made him sad. Jesus, he _really _needed to get a hold of himself.

**ooo**

She ignored her parents and their yelling. She ignored Raff's arguments and accusations. She ignored Brooke's complaining and bitchiness. But most of all, she ignored the part of her that said Keith was bad news. She couldn't help it. She knew there was more to him, especially now that she knew he wasn't as carefree as he pretended.

She desperately wanted to go to his house, but talked herself out of it dozens of times.

When her parents finally agreed to let her go out Friday, she wasn't sure of where she wanted to go. So, she drove to a town over and went into a store, searching around until she found what she needed. She smiles as she holds the pair of die in her hands. It's a cheesy gift, but one she knows he'll understand.

She's not sure when she'll give it to him, but she wraps it in a box and places it in her backseat.

She gets up around 4:00am on Saturday and grabs her workout clothes and puts them on, strapping her iPod to her arm and lacing up her sneakers. She clicks through her music until she finds the right one. And with that, she heads outside, jogging down the sidewalk. The cold morning air is soothing to her flushed skin, and the darkness around her comforts her hurting heart.

Somehow, she manages to run right by Keith's house. Just as she passes by, a yellow truck pulls out of the driveway. She forces herself to run faster, ignoring the urge to stop and run to the comfort of the truck. Tears fall from her eyes and she lets them, watching her vision blur. At one point she stops and sinks to her knees, letting the sobs overtake her.

She'd never felt anything so painful before. It was like there's a gaping hole in her chest that tore a bit more each day. Picking up a rock, she throws it, watching it soar through the air until it lands down the street, rolling to a stop.

**ooo**

He watched her run past him. He almost hoped that she would stop, but felt a little glad when she didn't. He forced himself not to follow her, instead driving to the cliff. There, he layed in silence, watching the sun slowly start to come up over the horizon.

There was something amazing about the sunrise. The way everything slowly came back to life and, where there was black, color stood out. Before his mother had passed, they had watched the sunrise together. Every once in a while he would watch it, to remind himself of her.

Once the sun was overhead, he drove back to his house, going to his room and throwing on an old, oil-stained shirt. He walks back outside and sees his father working on the other truck. He gives him a smile and they follow in their old routine.

**ooo**

She wakes up on Monday, March 10, wishing she could go back to sleep. After her breakdown Saturday, she'd lain in bed all weekend, refusing to go to practice.

There was no going back to sleep now, unfortunately.

With a sigh, she takes a shower and dresses in her jeans and a T-shirt. She pulls her hair back in a ponytail and brushes her teeth. She walks downstairs, careful to not let her parents know she's awake. She finds her keys and goes outside, her book bag in tow.

She lets the car back out of the driveway silently, waiting until she is on the road to start it. When she pulls into the parking lot, she is over a half hour early. So, she sits in her car and waits. She sees the café where they got breakfast and a small smile crosses her face.

When more people show up, and she decides it is safe enough, she gets out of the car and locks it behind her.

"Welcome back, bad girl," a kid says to her. She grits her teeth and continues walking.

People stare at her as she walks by, and she pretends not to notice them.

By time Chemistry rolls around, she is about ready to scream. She sits in class, drawing in her notebook, trying to ignore the stares from other people. Keith says nothing, only doing the work. It's almost as if he can sense how she feels, she muses to herself. When she looks up at one point, he flashes her a small smile that confirms it.

If possible, her heart melts a bit more.

The bell rings before she realizes it and soon she is on her way home.

Raff calls her later and she answers reluctantly.

"Hello?" She asks.

"Hey, Natalie," he says and he sounds reserved.

"Look, I'm sorry about the way I've acted. How about next weekend we do something special, alright?" She smiles a little.

"Sure. Sounds...fun."

"Cool. My parents won't be home, so it'll be just us." She wonders at the bad feeling she gets in her stomach, but pushes it off.

"Cool."

"Alright, bye."

"Bye."

She chews on her lip, and looks over at the carburetor on her desk. With a sigh, she goes over to it and opens the instructions, glad for some sort of distraction.

**ooo**

Friday night, a party is going on. Brooke, reluctantly it seems, invited her and Raff.

When she gets there, Brooke comes up to her.

"Guess where I'm going to be next year!" She says.

"Notre Dame?" She nods and they squeal and hug.

"I'm sorry for being so bitchy, Natalie. Still friends?" She asks. She nods.

"Still friends. Come on, let's go celebrate!" They cheer and walk into the house, finding an open space and start dancing. There is alcohol around the kitchen and someone hands her a drink. She takes it, but doesn't drink it.

After a while, she heads home, feeling hollow as the adrenaline fades out of her. Turns out, reality _does _settle back in faster than one would think.

She goes over to her mirror and looks at her face and body. Her jeans are a bit looser than what they originally were, so she guesses that's a good thing.

When Monday finally comes back, she sees that it is March 17. It'd been three months and it hardly felt like it.

She goes to school and goes through the motions of pretending once again.

Wednesday night, Keith picks her up and they go to the cliff, just laying in the bed of the truck without speaking.

"Do you ever feel like your life isn't really _your _life?" She asks quietly. He turns his head to look at her.

"I don't know, partner." She is almost shocked at how...not sarcastic he sounds.

"So, how did your date go for Valentine's Day?" She asks, making him chuckle.

"Well, she got her pipes cleaned out, if that's what you mean," he says and she laughs.

The sound is strange to her after having gone so long without doing it. She closes her eyes and smiles, enjoying the moment.

Too bad she didn't realize how precious that moment was.

**ooo**

He watched her throughout the week, seeing how skinny she'd gotten. Did she even realize it? Wednesday when they hung out, it felt familiar and yet surreal. They'd gone to the cliff and talked. He wondered if she ever thought about the kiss they'd shared, so long ago it seemed.

Friday he sees how nervous she is, and wonders what could be wrong. There isn't time to talk in class, and she is out the door before he can catch her.

With a sigh, he heads home until it's time to go to the cliff. He smirks to himself. With a shake of his head, he dons his jacket and heads out, feeling a cloud of darkness sweep through him. The pouring rain had finally stopped and was now a light mist. A bad premonition hits him and he shakes it off.

**ooo**

She sat on pins and needles while she waited for him to pick her up that Friday. She looks over at her calendar and sees that it is now March 21. When the doorbell rings, she gets up and walks to the door shakily. He offers her a smile and a bouquet of flowers.

"They're pretty," she replies. They walk to his car and head to his house.

She gasps when she sees the candles around the room, lit and sending a soothing aroma.

"Do you like it?" He asks and she nods.

He motions her to a small table and brings out dinner, some kind of pasta. They eat and make small talk. The food is delicious, as is the spanish drink he prepared. She swore there was alcohol in it, but he laughed and shook his head.

She missed the mischievous glint in his eye.

After a little while, they ended up on the couch, kissing. She was fine when he unbuttoned the button on her jeans and was stroking her stomach, but tensed when he hands tried to go higher.

Her brain became fuzzy and her tongue felt heavy. She pulls his hand down to her waist and he lets it stay there, but after a couple of minutes, it snakes its way up to the underside of her bra.

"No," she mumbles, forcing her tongue to work. He obliges, but a few more minutes later, after he has her shirt off and she is in her tank top, he tries it again. "Raff, _no_," she tells him. He moves so he is half on top of her and kisses her so deeply that she can't speak, can't move. His hand snakes under her bra and she tenses, trying to pull his hand away.

**(Warning...This is a kinda violent scene)**

He grabs both of her hands by the wrist in one of his and holds them above her head. A cold feeling settles over her and she tries to pulls her hands away, but his grip tightens. Frustrated, and a little scared, she manages to break away from the kiss.

"Raff...w-what...are you doing?" She asks and he tries to kiss her again.

"Come on, babe. Isn't this special?" He asks.

"I'm not ready," she pleads, and his hand tightens, making her whimper. "What did you put in my drink?" She asks, tears forming.

"Something to relax you," he responds, his hand that isn't holding her moving down to the hem of her jeans, slowly trying to pull them down. She begins to struggle.

"Raff, please, stop," she whispers, but he pays her no attention, kissing her neck. "Raff, I said _stop_," she says, managing to bring up a knee to his groin. He groans and falls onto the floor. She tries to get up, but he grabs her and pins her down on the floor. Fear paralyzes her.

"Did I say you could go?" He demands. She whimpers. He kisses her neck and she struggles even harder. She finds something hard and hits him against the head with it. His shock would have been funny if she'd been sober. managing to get up once more, she stands and tries to make her way out. he grabs her by the hair and slams her against the wall, making her cry out. "Where do you think you're going?" He yells, grabbing her by the face. "You've made me wait months, Nat. No more," he says, mostly to himself.

"Get off of me," she cries weakly, trying to push him off of her. He yanks her head back and she screams. He rips her tank top open and smiles.

"Looks like you've lost some weight. You're not as fat anymore," he tells her. He knows the blow is low and laughs when her jaw drops. She punches him in the face and the shock makes him stagger backwards.

She takes a chance and runs to the door. She gets it open and sees that it is raining. he comes up behind her and kicks her legs out from underneath her. Her face and hands get scratched on the gravel, but she doesn't feel the pain.

"Get off me!" She cries, sobbing. he pulls her up and she turns and pushes him. He slips on the wet gravel and hits his head on the ground. She doesn't wait.

**(Violence over :/)**

The drugs in her drink make her dizzy, but she runs. She doesn't see where she's going. She doesn't care that her jeans are ripped and bloody, that her tank top is only a few purple strips, that her feet are bare and bleeding.

When the pouring rain slows to a drizzle, and soon a mist, she slows.

She stops near a tree and leans her head back, sobbing. She hated the world. Why couldn't she see the signs? She should have known something was wrong when he kept getting violently angry all the time. Why didn't she see?

After a few minutes, she manages to get up and continues walking. She sees the dirt road that leads to the cliffs and her heart beats against her ribs. An empty feeling settles within her and she swallows, walking up to the cliffs. She stands at the edge, letting the cold wind seep into her. She looks down at her wrist and arms, and sees the bruises that are already forming.

The water below is choppy from the storm, but to her is hypnotic. She doesn't hear the truck coming up the road, or the screeching of the breaks. She takes a step closer to the water. Her toes hang off the edge. She holds her arms out to her sides and lifts up her foot to take the last step.

"_Natalie!_" She faintly hears the voice but doesn't recognize it until a pair of arms are around her. She screams, thinking it's Raff.

"No! Please, Raff, please, no!" She struggles but the arms tighten around her.

"It's me," a voice grinds out at her ear. She stops automatically and slumps forward. Keith's arms stay around her, but lower her gently to the ground.

A violent shuddering overtakes her and more tears fall. After nearly an hour, the drugs are slowly leaving her system, and the aftershocks are starting. She feels something being draped around her shoulders and looks up into Keith's warm brown eyes.

"What happened to you, partner?" He asks, looking at her bare feet and torn shirt. She shivers helplessly and looks back at the water.

"I wouldn't have jumped," she says numbly. She looks up at him. "Always know when to save me, huh, partner?" She tries to joke. A ghost of a smile touches his face.

"What happened to you?" He asks again. She closes her eyes.

"He said he had something special planned," she whispers, tightening the jacket around her shoulders. She breathes in the scent, letting it calm her. "He had candles lit, and a nice dinner cooked. I had some kind of spanish drink," she says, swallowing. "It tasted kinda funny, but he said it was supposed to taste that way. We ended up kissing on the couch." She didn't see how his hands clench into fists. She laughs. "I didn't even feel anything when we kisses. Nothing. He tried to put his hand up my shirt, but I told him no. My head started feeling fuzzy and I couldn't breathe or talk.

He grabbed me by the wrists and held them above my head. I kept telling him no, over and over," she whispers, closing her eyes. "He wouldn't listen. I kneed him in the crotch," she says, smiling a bit. "He fell on the floor and I tried to get up. He pinned me on the floor and ripped my tank top. I hit him on the head with something and I managed to get out of the room, but he...He yanked my hair and put me against the wall. I punched him," she says, lifting her bruised knuckled hand. "I got outside but he kicked my legs out from beneath me and I fell, scratching my face on the gravel. I managed to get up and push him. H-He fell and hit his head. I ran...I ran so hard and fast," she whispers brokenly, hating him seeing her in this position.

"I wanted to come here, to see the water. To...Feel something." She puts her head in her hands and sobs. A hysterical laugh bubbles inside her. "He looked at me. Know what he said? That I'm not as fat as I used to be. I'm a size four..." Her voice trails off.

**ooo**

His heart stopped when he saw her at the ledge. When he pulled her back, and she thought he was trying to hurt her, something snapped inside him. How could someone do this? Even now, after listening to her tell him what happened, he still couldn't believe it.

_Don't lose your cool now, Zetterstrom! Remember the game plan! _He grits his teeth.

"I should take you home," he says. She looks up at him and nods.

When they are parked outside her house, she hands him his jacket.

"Keith," she says quietly. He looks at her.

"Do you think less of me?" The question startles him. He furrows his brow at her.

"Of course I don't, partner. We've all got some kind of skeletons in our closets." She gives him a watery smile and thanks him, closing the door and running up to her house. He watches her until she is inside, than he goes back home.

He is angry. Angry at himself and angry at Marquez. He knew that she would be fine, though. She was strong like that. He glances over at his calendar when he is in bed, sighing when he sees that it is March 22. _Another month lost. Way to go._

**ooo**

When she gets to school Monday, she is over what happened with Raff. She still remembers it, and it send chills down her spine, but she can get through it.

He comes up to her after school and looks so miserable that she postpones it a little longer. She hates herself for it, but knows what would happen if she didn't.

She sees Keith that same moment, as well, and sees the look on his face. Disgust. Whether it is directed at her or Raff, she's not sure. But the look hurts. She's not sure why. Keith is just her friend...Right?

**Hey Guys! I Know, This is Super Long And It Is Really OOC For Raff. But, I Didn't Want To Follow The Storyline And I Watched The Movie And Saw How He Grabbed Her In The Scene Where She is Giving Him His Stuff Back And It Just Made Sense To Me . Anyways , don't Forget To R&R!**

**xXxhurting-insidexXx**


	5. Chapter 5

**And I'm Back...Writing This Is Really Going To Mess With My Head The Next Time I Watch The Movie *sigh* .. Anyways, Hope Everyone Enjoys!**

**Disclaimer: I Own Nothing Except This Idea**

**A Concrete Goal**

**Part 5 **

_**Month 4**_

April 1st. Better known as April Fool's Day. Since it has landed on a Tuesday, there's not much excitement for it this year. At least not for her. It's been almost two weeks since the incident with Raff. On the outside, nothing had changed between them. But she knew. And so did Keith. He was frustrating her beyond belief.

He'd _kissed _her. Maybe only once, and maybe it was a while back ago, but still.

"I'm going," she tells her mom.

"Natalie, I'm not ready," her mother calls. She ignores her, grabbing her tennis gear and going out to her car. Raff's is parked in front of the house but she ignores it, along with his voice calling her.

He follows her, unsurprisingly. She is forced to stop and he gets out of the car and taps on her window.

"What the hell is going on, Natalie?"

"What's going on is I have a match," she replies.

"Look, if there's something wrong, you'd better tell me about it," he responds.

"It has nothing to do with you!" She yells back.

"Why? Because it has to do with Keith?" He snips back.

"No, it has to do with me!"

"Than it's about me too!" He yells back. "In case you haven't noticed, you and I are a little involved right now!"

"I'll call you later," she says.

"Look, if we want the lakehouse, I gotta call my uncle today..." She guns it when it's clear, not hearing the rest of his speech.

When she pulls up at the match location, she lets the tears fall. So much had happened. So many things had changed. _She _had changed. Wiping away the tears, she got out of the car. She walked up to the check-in stand and checked in. The man smiled at her, but she could only nod.

When it was her turn, she tried to block everything out. Everything but Keith. Thinking of his quirky sense of humor and his eyes. She'd thought they were brown, but on closer inspection earlier, she'd seen they were a blue-hazel. The most gorgeous color she'd ever seen. She closes her eyes as his fill up her mind.

She serves and scores a point. After a few minutes, she wins her first match in almost two months. Her body tingles, but not from the win.

**ooo**

That Friday she has another match. She can't stand the growing feeling in her heart. So she drives away. She goes to Keith's house and sees a man working on the truck.

"Are you Keith's dad?" She asks.

"Yea, how can I help you?" He reponds.

"I'm...A friend of Keith's. I have something for him. Could I come in?" She asks.

"Uh, yea, sure. Come on in," he says to her. She smiles and grabs the box from her backseat. She follows him into the house and waits in the living room. "I'll go get him for you," he says.

She hears them talking and then a door slamming. She jumps and turns when his father comes in.

"I'm sorry. he doesn't want to see you right now." She looks down.

"Oh. Okay. Thanks anyways." He nods and she goes back outside and gets in her car.

She starts to drive away but changes her mind, deciding to hide her car down the street in the trees. When she does, she walks back up to his house and waits for his father to go back in the house before she opens the box and hangs the die around the rearview mirror. She leaves the box on the bucket seat and gets into the bed of the truck, hiding under the blankets.

An hour passes and then she hears him. He pauses at the door and then gets in, starting the truck. She watches the sky above her as daytime turns to nighttime. He drives for another hour before heading to the cliff.

When he gets out of the truck and walks towards the ledge, she sits up and gets out of the truck as well. His back is to her and she sees a bonfire at The Brick going. She walks up behind him and stops a few feet away.

"I...I don't..." Tears clog her throat and she swallows before speaking again. "I don't care where you're going to be next year. I don't care if you're crazy, or if you killed someone. I just...I just know that I want to be with you." The tears fall freely now. "God...It just seems so pointless. Everything just seems so...pointless. But when I'm with you? It's different...And I don't know why." A sob builds up in her throat and escapes. "Please," she whispers.

Before she realizes it, he's holding her face in his hands and kissing her. That same jolt of electricity goes through her and she kisses him back, helpless. All thoughts of reason escape her as she feels his ardor.

Her hands go around his neck, and his around her waist. He pulls her closer and she sighs in pleasure. Their kisses become frenzied and, before she realizes it, they are in the flatbed.

And even sooner, their clothes come off and she feels him, really feels him. And she realizes she's always been ready...Just not with Raff, but Keith. So when he hesitates just the slightest bit, she pulls him tighter against her. And as they say...The rest is history. Sort of.

**ooo**

A million thoughts race through his head as he drives back to where her car is parked. He wanted her, more than anything, and in those few moments, he had forgotten the truth. he had forgotten his plan. He forgot the truth. And, now that the truth was smacking him in the face, he couldn't put her through any of that. He hated what he was about to do, but it had to be done.

"So, we should actually go bowling," she says. He smiles and laughs.

"Yea, we should."

"So, I'll see you tomorrow?"

"I don't know. Maybe."

"Come on," she says, and he can hear how happy she is.

"I don't know about any of this actually," he says.

"What?" Shje responds.

"I mean, a guy like me, with a truck...I mean, I'm not one for the whole committments thing anyways...Let's just forget it, okay?" He glances over at her and sees how hurt she is.

"Fuck you," she says. And, to add more salt on the wounds, he looks over at her and drives the final nail in his coffin.

"Ya just did, partner." She scoffs and gets out of the truck, slamming the door. As soon as it's closed, his eyes close painfully. He knew she would never forgive him, not after this. So, he does the only thing he can do: drive.

Miraculously, he ends up on the cliffs again. God help him, he didn't know why he was here. As he stops and gets out of the truck, memories of just minutes ago flood his mind. He leans his forehead on the cold glass of the window and moves to the bed of the truck. He picks up the blanket and breathes in deep. It smells just like her.

Crying out, he kicks the rear bumper of the truck. He climbs into the drivers' seat and hits the dashboard repeatedly, slamming his fist against it. When he stops, his forehead falls onto the steering wheel. Tears slip down his cheeks and hit his hands. He knew what he was doing when he chose her as his lab partner.

He knew how his life was going to play out. He wanted to break her down, to get beneath her high and mighty walls. But now that he did, he knew she was more than just a pretty face and Miss Popular. She had dreams just like him. Dreams that would never satisfy the rest of the world.

Finally, after another hour of sitting there, he musters up the strength to drive back home. When he finally gets into his bed, he stares up at the ceiling, feeling like a monster. He got what he wanted: her surrender. BUt he hated it, almost as much as he hated himself.

**ooo**

After a disastrous weekend, the days dragged on and on. Raff knew something was up, but she refused to acknowledge it. Finally, on the 10th, a Friday as luck would have it, she couldn't take it any longer. She is sitting with Raff and Brooke And Travis in the quad.

"Can...Can we talk?" She asks, trying to be polite.

"Sure," he responds. She feels everyone's eyes on her, but she forces the feeling away. They stop a few feet away. "What is it, Natalie?" He asks. She pulls out her bookbag and pulls out a few shirts and hands them to him, along with a black button up.

"I couldn't find the Caribbean Mix, so I'll have to get that to you later," she says. He grabs her arm.

"What do you mean?" He asks.

"Look...We had a good time. I like you..."

"Than why are you doing this?" He asks, interrupting her. She swallows and looks around, seeing the stares.

"I'm just going through a really hard time right now. Things are complicated."

"Yea, because you started bullshitting me, Natalie!" He yells and she winces.

"I'll try and get that CD to you when I can find it..."

"Look at me!" He yells, grabbing her by the arms. She freezes and looks up into his eyes. "What? You going to let that little psycho get between us?"

"Have you really forgotten what you did to me?" She asks in a whisper. He tightens his grip.

"I did nothing you didn't want," he responds.

"Let go of me," she pleads.

"No, not until you tell me what you're problem is! What, you gonna give it up to that little shit?"

"_STOP IT!_" She screams, pushing him away from her. He stumbles and falls into the fountain. She's breathing heavily and notices belatedly that the whole quad is staring at her. Tears fill her eyes. "You know, I only hope good things for you. 'Cause really bad shit happens to people. I hope to God it never happens to you," she whispers, turning and running towards the parking lot. She gets in her car and closes the door, locking it.

She cries again. Not only had he lacerated her pride, but her reputation.

After she calms down, she sees that school is about to end. Already going to be counted as skipping, and not giving a damn, she starts the car and drives away.

**ooo**

He'd watched the entire thing. He'd seen him grab her, and her shove him away. He felt pride in that, watching him go into the fountain. What hurt was seeing the tears on her face. They seemed to be there constantly nowadays. He swallows and starts the truck, heading nowhere.

He couldn't let her under his skin any further than she already was. Good God, she was all he thought about. He couldn't get her out of his mind.

But, no matter how much it hurt, he couldn't let her get closer. He kept telling himself it was for the best...Even though he knew he was only lying to himself.

**ooo**

The next two weeks were pure torture. Everywhere she went, everyone stared. Some openly gawked at her as she passed by them. All anyone seemed to know about what happened was Raff's version. No one bothered to listen to hers, so she stopped trying to tell it. Brooke stopped talking to her. Her grades began to slip. And she lost her scholarship to Duke.

"I just don't understand what is happening, Natalie," her mom says one day at a 'family meeting.' "You were there, you had the scholarship in our hands! Why'd you let it go?"

"Maybe I don't want to play tennis for six hours a day, Mom. Maybe, after ten stupid years, I am sick and tired of it! Maybe I want something different for myself! Has it ever occurred to you that I have dreams of my own?"

"Natalie, get back here!" Her mom yells, but she doesn't hear her. She grabs her keys and leaves the house.

As she is driving, she sees the guy she'd met with the boy, Billy. An urge hits her and she turns the car around and follows him.

He stops at a gas station and she follows him inside.

"Hi," she says and he turns to her. "We met. I'm Keith's friend?" He nods.

"Hi. How is Keith?" She shakes her head.

"I don't really know, I don't see him much. Does he still see that boy, Billy?"

"Billy passed away." He turns to pay the cashier.

"What?" The shock is palpable.

"I thought you knew..."

"Well, how did he know him?"

"Oh, they were in chemo together," he says nochalantly.

"Wait..._what_?"

"You didn't know that either?" She shakes her head.

"So, were you his doctor?"

"Counselor, actually."

"Well, how sick is he? He's going to be okay, right?" The look he gives her is so full of remorse that tears fill her eyes. She shakes her head and leaves the store.

She heads to Keith;s house and knocks on the door. She hears him playing the guitar inside.

"Keith?" She asks. The music stops for a couple of seconds before he starts, louder this time. "Keith, open the door. Keith?" He continues to ignore her. "Keith, please come out here and talk to me. Keith? Keith!" By now the tears are flowing freely and she can't help it.

**ooo**

She walks around in a constant daze, everything flipped upside down. If only she knew that he was hurting too...

**WOOHOO! ANOTHER CHAPTER FINISHED! I AM SO SAD TO SEE THIS COME TO AN END REAL SOON, BUT IT HAS BEEN REALLY FUN. **


	6. Chapter 6

**Well, Here It Is...Part 6. Don't Worry, It's Not Going To End Here, Not Yet Anyways. And I Am SO SORRY About Some Of The Mistakes Throughout. I Am Doing This All On Wordpad Because My Microsoft Ran Out :/ So, Yeah...Anyways, So This Is Probably One of The Hardest Fics I have ever Written, Simply Because The Movie Is Absolute Perfection (even if i think that he shouldn't have died, or at the very least they showed him in the hospital).**

**Disclaimer: I Own Nothing Except This Idea**

**A Concrete Goal**

**Part 6 **

_**Month 5**_

Two weeks. It'd been two _fucking _weeks since he'd hung out with her or talked to her. He had watched her, of course, to make sure she was alright. He hated seeing how upset she was.

He looks over at his calendar. May 1. It was a Thursday, ironic enough. He wanted to do something for her, but he didn't know how. _Next week_, he tells himself. Yeah, that'd work.

**ooo**

The week of May 5th was probably one of the worst weeks of her life. And it was only made worse that Friday.

Chemistry had technically ended and so they would be doing no more experiments or work. They would be reviewing for the APs. The thought made her miserable. So, on the 9th, when she walked into Chemistry, she was almost glad that she was there before Keith.

She sat there in her own thoughts, staring into space when she heard his voice.

"Keys?" Miles asks. Keith hands him his. "Natalie, key?" She grabs it and hands it to him

"Ah, the end of chemistry as we know it," he says, sounding chipper. His tone makes her mood worse. She snaps.

"You're such a goddamned glib little actor. As far as I'm concerned, this is a real chickenshit goodbye." She grabs her book bag and walks out of the class, fighting tears.

How could he just sit there and break her heart? But, of course, now she knew the truth. She just wish it didn't have to hurt so much.

**ooo**

The tears in her eyes had hurt him. He hated knowing she was hurting, but he couldn't do anything about it. Even if he did apologize, he wouldn't be here soon.

Ever since he started getting to know her, the idea of him not being alive became a suddenly new thing. He'd accepted his inevitable demise, welcomed it...But now? It terrified him. He didn't want to die. No one this young should have to die. He wouldn't even make it to July at the rate he was deteriorating.

Another week rolled by. He still hadn't tried to talk to her. But, a week later, after another round of chemo, he wanted to try.

So, on the 16th, he gathered his courage and drove over to her house.

He knocked on her house and a guy answered.

"Yea?" He asks.

"Is Natalie here?" He asks back.

"Uh, yeah."

"Tell her it's time we went bowling." The guy smiles and nods.

As soon as the door is closed, he walks back to his truck and leans against the door frame, waiting.

**ooo**

"Uh, that truck guy is here. Said something about it being time to go bowling?"

Her heart beats wildly in her chest. She looks at her brother and nods.

"Okay." He smiles at her and walks away. It takes her a full two minutes before she can walk outside.

When she does, she sees him leaning against his truck. Her heart breaks further, but she says nothing as she walks around and gets inside.

Once they are driving, she waits for a few minutes before speaking.

"Why didn't you tell me?" She can't keep the hurt out of her voice.

"Come on, partner. Everyone bites it sooner or later. I'm just in the AP class."

"Always the joke."

"Al says it's a phase. It'll pass soon. But, hey, at least it wasn't about sympathy for the sick kid." His accusations hurt.

"That's not fair." He hits the breaks and turns to look at her.

"Is _Duke_ fair? Is _Europe_fair? At this rate, I won't even make it to London, Ontario. Is _that_ fair?" She can't speak. "Bowling. That's what I get. Bowling." He starts to drive again and she waits another moment before finding her voice.

"We're not going bowling," she says.

"Why?" He asks.

"Because, we're saving that. Turn here." He glances over at her, but obliges.

They end up at the Salvation Army.

"Wait here," she says and he nods.

She makes her way inside and finds an old green suitcase. When she gets to the register, she asks for a piece of paper and scissors. The cashier obliges and she cuts out a slip of paper. Finding a few colored crayons in a bucket, she uses them.

When she is finished, she pays for the suitcase, placing the paper inside. She smiles at the woman and exits. She sees him sitting there and he raises an eyebrow at the suitcase. She says nothing.

"Now where?" He asks her.

"The airport."

**ooo**

When they get to the airport, he doesn't know what to expect. They exit the truck and his heart races slightly in his chest.

They reach the concourse and she tells him to wait.

When she comes back, she holds out the suitcase and he takes it from her.

"So, where we going?"

"The sky's the limit," she tells him, holding out a piece of paper. "Haven't lied to you this far, I'm not gonna start now."

_Yellow Truck Airlines_  
_Passenger: Keith_  
_From: Here_  
_Destination: Anywhere_

He looks back up at her. "What are we doing, really?" A cold feeling settles inside his chest.

"This is the goodbye scene," she tells him. _No, _he whispers inside his head.

"Let's not, okay?" He begs, his voice cracking slightly.

"Come on, Zetterstrom. You can do it." He sighs and straightens.

"Okay. Wake up, Natalie. Don't you see what happened here?" She shakes her head and he continues. "You had a beautiful life, and I had shit. I wanted to take you down, I wanted to make you as miserable as I am, and that is exactly what I did. Now," he says, watching her face, "how's _that_ for a goodbye?" She purses her lips and looks away.

"Pretty lame."

"Face it, Anderson," he says, making her look at him. "I screwed you. I screwed you big time." He knew the words hurt, but she was killing him.

"So you screwed me, so what? Me?" She asks, coming up to him and grabbing him to talk into his ear. "I made love to you." _What did she just say? _His heart stops as her words sink in. He looks around, scared to move. "Try again." She says. "Try again." He turns and walks away a few steps. He turns and walks back to her.

"I had it all figured out so I would cut out early. Seemed like a good idea, life sucks anyways. Then I met you, and it got weird. And you were so...amazing. And I..." He stops to catch his breath and to hold back tears.

"What?" She asks. He can't look at her. "What?" he meets her eyes and sees the unshed tears in them.

"I just wanted a little more time." A tear falls from her eye and he gives a small smile. "Goodbye, partner." And with that, he walks away. Each step away from her kills him more than the last. When he is standing at the line, he closes his eyes and lets a single tear fall.

Hating his weakness, he wipes it away. Then, something amazing happens. He feels her grab him and turn him around.

"I am staying with you until you leave. I don't care how much time we have. You get that, you stupid jerk?" She tells him. His shock and amazement soon turn to lust as she kisses him. He is afraid to move for fear she'll back away. When she doesn't, he drops the suitcase and wraps his arms around her, kissing her back.

He will never know anything more amazing than the feeling of her lips against his. She tastes like the sweetest sugar and she fits perfectly against him.

When they pull apart, he swallows roughly. Her eyes are bright and she strokes his face. His eyes close of their own accord and he breathes in her sweet scent.

"Are you sure?" He asks her. She nods.

"I've never been more sure of anything." He smiles and kisses her again.

**ooo**

When they eventually get in the truck, he can't believe what happened. He didn't want to put her through what would come, but he didn't want to go another day without her. He was a selfish bastard.

"Keith," she says hesitantly. He looks over at her and feels scared. _Please don't change your mind_, he whispers selfishly.

"Yes?" He responds, gripping the steering wheel.

"Can I hold your hand?" His relief is so poignant that he feels moisture in his eyes.

"Of course you can, pumpkin love," he responds and she laughs. He feels her entwine their fingers together and tightens his hold.

They drive away from the airport and head back home. He takes her up to the cliffs and stops the truck when he gets there, putting it in park. He turns to her and she raises her eyes to his.

Electricity crackles between them. He releases his hand to stroke her face. He gives her a small smile before leaning in closer to her. She leans in and he takes her face in his hands, kissing her softly. She smiles against his lips and he pulls back.

"Come on, partner," he says. "Let's stargaze." She laughs and they exit the truck and get into the flatbed, laying down on the blanket. This time, instead of laying on opposite ends with their legs hanging off the sides, they lay next to each other, her head cradled on his shoulder.

They lay like that for some time before she speaks.

"Keith," she begins. He looks down at her. "How...How much..." He presses a finger to her lips and smiles down at her.

"Don't think about the future. There's only this," he whispers, leaning down to kiss her again.

Kissing her was dangerous. Before long, they were in a sweaty pile of arms and legs, and both of them were satisfied.

"How long have we been here?" She asks. He shrugs. She looks down at her watch and gasps. "Holy Hell! We've been here for nearly three hours!" She blushes scarlet when she meets his gaze and he smiles. "We should probably go," she says and he nods.

"You could..." His voice trails off and he shakes his head.

"What?" She asks.

"Nothing," he responds.

"Come on, partner. You can't hold stuff out on me this late in the game." Her smile is breathtaking.

"I was going to say if you liked, you could stay...With me."

**ooo**

Her heart races madly at his idea and she bites her lip.

"What would your dad say?" She asks and he shakes his head.

"He thinks you're an angel. He feels bad about what happened the last time you were there. I am sorry about that, partner," he says and he looks it.

"Does he? And what does his son think, hmm?" She smiles.

"He thinks that it's cold and that we should probably get going," he replies and she laughs, shaking her head.

"Alright," she says when they're back in the truck with the heart going.

"Alright, what?" He responds.

"I'll stay with you."

"Cool."

**ooo**

Needless to say, the following morning, his father was shocked and elated to see her, although he was a bit upset that they hadn't asked him first.

She liked him instantly.

"We were never properly introduced," he says to her.

"Natalie," she tells him.

"Henry," he answers. She goes to shake his hand but he hugs her instead. Her heart warms and she wonders why she didn't make her choice sooner.

Later, when she finally goes home, she looks so happy that her parents don't even bother yelling at her, just asking who made her so happy.

She motions for him to come inside and he does, shyly.

"This is Keith," she tells them. He smiles at them.

"Don't worry, she's not pregnant," he says and she blushes. Her dad bursts out laughing and her mom shakes her head.

"Well, if you got her smiling, then you must be doing something right," her dad says. "Haven't seen her smile in weeks."

"Don't worry, I plan on keeping her that way, for as long as I can." She looks over at him and he forces a smile.

"Well, come, have a seat," her mom says, motioning towards the loveseat. They sit down and she goes and gets refreshments.

They talk for a little while before he clears his throat.

"There's something you should know," he says and she looks at him.

"You don't have to talk about it, partner," she tells him quietly. He smiles at her and grabs her hand.

"I have cancer," he tells them. Her mother gasps and her father's face softens.

"Oh, my...You poor, sweet thing," her mother croons, standing up to come over and hug him to her. When she pulls away, she holds up a hand. "You don't need to say anymore. Whatever needs to be done, or when you need Natalie, all you need do is say so. It must be so hard for you, sweetie," she continues. "God deals us some strange hands sometimes, but it's our job to make the most of what he's given us. What are you two still doing here? Go on, go have fun." Her mother's antics are so warm that he smiles at her.

"Thank you, Caroline. If it would be alright, would she be able to go with me and my father on Sunday? We might miss school," he continues and her mother just nods.

"No hanky panky, though." _Oh my god_...She flushes bright scarlet and looks down, hiding her face in her hands.

"Of course not, Caroline. I give my word."

**ooo**

Fifteen minutes later, they manage to get out of the house.

"I'm sorry about my mother," she tells him. He smiles.

"She's great, partner. Now I see where you get it from," he says softly.

"What?"

"Your compassion." She smiles at him.

"I'll take that as a compliment," she says.

"Take it however you wish, pumpkin love." She blushes at the silly endearment and leans closer to him.

"I'm sorry I waited so long," she says after a few minutes. He shrugs.

"I knew you couldn't resist my wiles much longer," he replies and she smiles.

_If you only knew, _she thinks to herself.

**And There Is The End Of Part 6...I'm Not Done Yet, I Promise! There's Still Some More To Come. Well, Bye For Now**

**xXxhurting-insidexXx**


	7. Chapter 7

**Hey Guys, I'm Back. This Is The Fastest Fic I Have Ever Written, And No ONe Has Reviewed Or Even Read It. Almost Breaks My Heart A Bit, Especially Since It's Gonna Be Over Soon...Oh Well**

**Disclaimer: I Own Nothing Except This Idea**

**A Concrete Goal**

**Part 7**

_**End of Month 5**_

To say he was nervous would to have been an understatement. He was overjoyed that she knew his darkest secret, and was okay with it, but was terrified of her seeing just how it was.

When he picked her up the next day, he could tell she was nervous. He gives her a smile and she returns it, reaching out to hold his hand. He smiles to himself at how tightly she clings to his hand, allowing him a glimpse of her emotions.

They drive to his house where his father waits for them with his car. When they get out of the truck, his father gives her a warm smile and a hug. She returns it.

"How are you this morning, Henry?" She asks.

"I'm doing alright, and how are you?" He returns.

"Nervous," she laughs, easing the tension.

They all pile into the car, Natalie sitting in back, and make the long drive up to the hospital. Occasionally, he feels her hand stroke the back of his neck in a comforting gesture. And each time, his eyes close briefly.

When they get there, his anxiety returns full force. He doesn't want her to see this. He gets out of the car and, when he turns to her, she gives him a smile as if to say _it's okay, everything is gonna be okay_. He takes her hand and they walk up towards the entrance.

"You know, I could go and see if I could find a candy striper costume and come surprise you," she says. He laughs and shakes his head. His father stops and turns to look at them.

"You...You made him laugh," his father says with amazement. She blushes and he tightens his hold. "Welcome to the family," he tells her and her eyes widen.

"W-What?" He smiles and shakes his head, turning to walk inside. He smiles to himself for a moment before the reality of what she is about to see hits him. "Hey," she says, grabbing his chin and making him look at her. "I'm not leaving." He swallows and nods.

They get inside and automatically, like always, they put him in a wheelchair. Her eyes take on a mischievous glint and she looks at the nurse.

"May I?" She asks. The nurse looks at her.

"And who are you? I've never seen you here before."

"Oh...I, uh...I'm..." She hesitates and bites her lip, suddenly looking embarrassed.

"She's my girlfriend," he answers for her. He can feel her shock and joy, but looks at the nurse. "It's alright." The nurse smiles.

"Uh huh, so I see someone finally tamed the beast," the nurse chuckles, the lines around her eyes crinkling with age.

"Yea, but he doesn't know about it, so let's just keep it a secret, okay?" Natalie whispers loudly to her, pretending a serious expression. With a sigh, he starts to wheel himself to the room.

"Hey, where do you think you're going, mister?" The nurse says, grabbing him and stopping him.

"Running away?" He asks back and she shakes her head, smiling.

"Alright, you can take him. It's the third door on the right," she says and Natalie smiles at her before taking the handles and pushing him.

"You know, partner," he says smiling to himself, "having you as an indentured servant sounds pretty cool right about now. You know, I've got this horrible crick in the side of my neck...Hey!" He says when she mock hits his shoulder. She laughs and shakes her head.

When they enter the room he can feel her uplifted mood plummet. He turns to look at her over his shoulder and she forces a smile for him. A nurse comes by and wheels him away from her.

As he is hooked up to the IV, he watches as his father comes and wraps an arm around her shoulders. She looks up at him and forces a smile. He leans close and whispers something to her. She bites her lip and nods. He wonders what he told her and his heart races when he sees her turn and walk away. His father nods at him and follows her.

**ooo**

She didn't know what part of her had remained ignorant but, when she saw him get hooked up to the IV, it was like a cold slap in the face. Everything suddenly became real. She felt an arm come around her shoulders and looked up into Henry's face.

She forces a smile for him and he leans towards her, speaking into her ear.

"I know this is probably really hard for you to watch, and I'm sorry. They'll bring him to Room 126 if you want to go and wait." She bites her lip and nods. "I'll be right behind you," he continues and she turns and walks away. After a couple of minutes, he is beside her.

When they get to the room, she sits down in a chair beside the window. He stands opposite her and crosses his arms.

"Can I ask..." she begins, not sure where to starts.

"What is it, sweetheart?" He responds. She meets his eyes.

"What happened to his mother?" She bites her lip. His eyes become sad and wistful.

"She got really sick about six or seven years ago. I was at work and Keith was at a friend's house, so she decided to drive herself to the hospital. It was dark out and she could barely see." Her heart beats wildly as she prepares herself. "A drunk was driving and didn't see her. He sideswiped her...She died on impact," he finishes, his eyes misting over. She gets up and hugs him around the waist.

"It must be hard for you, living without her," she tells him. They stand like that for a few minutes before she pulls away. "So," she begins with a smile, "tell me about Keith when he was younger."

**ooo**

When he is finally allowed back in the room and hour later, it is to the sight of her flushed and smiling face and the sound of his father's laughter. She wipes away tears from her eyes as she still chuckles. When she sees him, her face lights up. He manages a smile for her and stands up gently, moving to lie in the bed. She props up the pillow for him and bites back a hurtful comment.

He grits his teeth and closes his eyes. He didn't want to hurt her, but having her see him like this wounded his pride. And, fifteen minutes later, when he leans over and vomits into the bedpan, he almost hates her.

"Having fun yet?" He asks her when he finishes. She looks up at him and opens her mouth to speak when he cuts her off. "Now you have something funny to tell your friends. How you watched the sick kid puke his guts out and look like death. Bet you'll be invited to all the parties real quick, Miss Popularity," he snaps and her face pales.

"Keith..." she begins but he cuts her off.

"Bet you're probably just biding your time until you can make a quick getaway. Why don't I make it easy for you? Why don't you just go?" He closes his eyes as a wave of pain hits him and barely notices her hurt gasp and the scraping of the chair as she gets up and runs out of the room. He waits another minute before looking up at the ceiling, letting a tear fall from his eye. He swallows and his father comes by him. "I'm sorry," he whispers.

"I won't tell you that was very harsh and wrong of you, because I know you already see that. Just try to remember that this is painful for her as well. You didn't see the look on her face when she came by the house that day and you refused to see her," he says. "That girl is in love with you, son, and I know you care strongly for her."

"And how do you know it's not just pity or sympathy, huh?" He demands of his father. "How do I know that she's not just sticking around because she feels obligated to?" A movement out of the corner of his eye catches his attention. His heart breaks when he sees her.

Her eyes are red-rimmed and puffy and her nose is red from crying. But in her hands she hold SlimJims and Twinkies, and a thing of Tic-tacs. She takes a few hesitant steps forward and places the items on the bedside table. She does all this without looking at him, despite him staring at her. She meets his father's eyes and gives him a small smile.

"I told you twice and I will tell you again," she finally looks at him. "I am staying with you. I don't do the whole pity thing, partner, and I never have. I'm sorry if you feel that way, but I don't feel pity for you, just the situation. You're so much stronger than you give yourself credit for. If you truly want me to go home right now than I'll have my parents pick me up, or I'll get a cab. But, I'm staying with you until you leave." He grips the blanket in his hand, noticing belatedly that his father had stepped out of the room to give them a few minutes. He meets her eyes and reaches forward, ignoring the stab of pain and nausea, taking her wrist in his hand and pulling her towards him. He wraps his arms around her and holds her to him.

He strokes her hair, even as he feels her shaking with silent sobs.

"I don't want to put you through this," he forces between his clenched jaw. She sniffles and raises her head. Even with her face tear-stained, she is still beautiful to him. He gives her a sad smile and wipes away her tears.

"I survived the past five months, I can survive anything with you," she returns.

"You don't know that," he says, every doubt clouding his mind.

"I do, partner," she says. "Now, stiff upper lip. 'Cause we got an audience," she whispers conspiratorial. He glances over and sees a couple of nurses staring into the room from the nurses' station. She giggles and pulls back.

**ooo**

After another hour or so, the doctor comes in, looking somber. He straightens and sees her stiffen. His father had come back and was smiling at the two of them.

When he sees Natalie, he raises an eyebrow.

"And who is this young woman?" He asks and she smiles.

"I'm Natalie," she tells him. He nods.

"Well, Keith," he says, looking through sheets in the chart. He goes to continue when his eyes fall on her. "I'm sorry, would you mind stepping out for a moment?" She goes to get up but he grabs her wrist and holds her.

"She can stay," he tells the doctor. His eyes plead with him and, after a moment, he nods.

"Very well," the doctor says. She sits back down and takes his hand in hers, rubbing his knuckles. "I've got some good and bad news," he continues.

"What sort of bad news?" His father asks.

"Well, I will start by telling you that the new treatment we started you on has effectively destroyed a decent amount of the cancerous cells in your body," he says and his heart gives a squeeze.

"But?" The doctor sighs.

"But, because you have had increased pain over the past six months or so, we believe that it has begun to spread into your bones. And, looking at your new blood work analysis and test results..." His voice trails off and he fears the worst. When the doctor meets his eyes, they are sad. "I'm sorry," he says gently. The world comes crashing down around him.

"How long?" He faintly hears his father ask.

"A month...Five weeks on the upside." His eyes close tightly and he feels Natalie's head on his shoulder, kissing him and stroking his hair. He barely feels her touch, everything coming into focus.

This was it. He knew it was going to happen. He just didn't think it'd be so soon.

"We can keep trying and we will see what happens, but I need him here at least once a week for the treatments." He looks at the doctor and sees the genuine pain he is feeling for him. He looks down and places his fingers under her chin, bringing her eyes up to his. Her eyes are sad, but determined and he gives her a smile.

"I'm not going anywhere, partner," she tells him. She kisses him and his eyes close at the feeling. When she pulls back, her face is red and he is smiling.

**ooo**

When they are almost home, she leans forward and wraps her arms around his front side. She rests her chin on the seat and sees him smiling at her. He rests a hand on one of hers and strokes it gently.

"Natalie," his father says to her quietly. She turns to him. "If you would like to stay with us, you are more than welcome." She smiles and looks over at Keith. He nods.

"That's very kind of you," she says. "I would have to run home and grab some things, but I would love to, if it wouldn't be too much trouble." He laughs, despite the tension about the day's events.

"You hear the manners in her voice? You could take some lessons from her, son," he says and Keith gives a laugh.

"Manners? Me? My God, the world would come to an end." They all laugh.

When they get to his house, she gives him a quick kiss before jogging over to her car.

"I'll only be a few minutes," she calls. They nod and his father helps him into the house.

Soon, she is pulling up into her driveway. Her mother meets her in the hall and she takes one look before bursting into tears. She feels the strawberry and honey perfume her mother wears and wraps her arms around her.

"Shh, honey, it's alright," she says, stroking her hair. "I already packed you a bag," she says and Natalie pulls back.

"Why are you okay with this?" She asks sadly, the tears still falling. Her mother smiles.

"You've been in love with that boy for so long," she comments and her brow furrows. "When you were in that play, you kept talking about the loud boy who was always stepping on your dress. I knew what you didn't...That you were infatuated."

"Russian Soldier Number three," they say at the same time. Her mother smiles.

"I know we've been hard on you this past year, Natalie. We only wanted what was best for you. I guess we should have focused more on what you needed than what we wanted. I've already talked to your father about this, as well," she says. "If you don't want to play tennis anymore, we understand. We just want you to be happy. And, if in the fall, you still want to go to college, I already talked to the Dean of the three other schools you wanted to apply to. They understand and will be willing to reconsider your application with them." Her jaw drops.

"You'd do that...For me?" She asks and her mother nods.

"We love you, dear."

"I love you too," she whispers, hugging her mother tighter.

"And if he ever wants to stay here, he's more than welcome. I don't need to tell you no hanky panky, since I can tell it's a little late for that," she jokes and she blushes. "It's alright dear. Just be careful. And Natalie," she says as she pulls away and reaches for the bag. She turns and looks at her mother. "Don't be afraid of the things you don't understand." She nods and grabs her bag and her book bag, heading out the door.

When she reaches Keith's house, she sits in her car for a few minutes, just thinking. When she decides to get out, she grabs her bags and walks to the front door, knocking gently.

Henry opens it and smiles down at her.

"Ya know, when I welcomed you to the family, that kinda means you don't have to knock," he says, teasing her gently. She smiles at him and goes inside, taking off her shoes. "I'm making supper," he says and she looks towards the kitchen where she sees a few pots on the stove.

"Thank you," she tells him, everything she needs to say in those two words. He nods, understanding.

When she gets to Keith's room, the door is closed. She knocks, but there is no answer. Quietly, she opens the door, finding the room empty. The smell of gasoline and Tic-tacs brings a smile to her face. She picks up a shirt from the floor and sees it's the shirt he wore when they first kissed. She blushes but presses it against her nose, breathing in his scent.

"You know, you have got some pretty creepy tendencies," she gasps and drops the shirt, turning to see Keith smiling at her. She flushes and bites her lip, looking away as she sees his hair is wet and he is in nothing but a towel. She clears her throat.

"Um...I'll let you, uh, g-get dressed," she says and goes to walk around him. He holds out an arm and stops her. She turns and he places another arm on the other side of her head, trapping her. He steps closer and she swallows nervously.

"You okay, partner?" He asks her in a whisper. She bites her lip and nods. "You sure?" His minty breath washes over her face and the heat from his body makes her insides turn liquid. Her legs shake and she has to close her eyes to calm her heart. With a mischievous smile, she opens them and looks up at him, stepping closer so that they are only an inch apart.

"What else do you expect when you come in here half clothed? In fact," she whispers, leaning even closer, "I think a cold shower might be in order." And, as he leans in to kiss her, she ducks beneath his arm, laughing breathlessly. He swallows and looks over at her.

"Okay," he says. "You win this round." And with a shake of his head, he closes the door.

She makes her way to the kitchen, deciding to help Henry. When she gets there, she sees him staring at a package of chicken, looking at some recipe with confusion.

"Need help?" She asks and he jumps.

"I don't understand," he confides and she smiles at him.

"Here, let me." She takes the recipe from his hands and reads it over. "Okay, can you get me the flour, salt, pepper, garlic, a can of green beans, butter, two eggs, and three potatoes?" She asks him, having seen a bag of potatoes on the counter. He nods and gathers the ingredients. She smiles. "I see you have stuff for a salad, too," she says and he nods.

"It's about the only thing I can make," he admits and she laughs.

"Don't worry, I'll teach you."

He watches as she cuts open the package and takes out the chicken breasts, boneless of course, and cuts them in half. She grabs two of the pots from the stove and places them on the counter before searching for a skillet. When she finds it, she butters it and places it on the stove, turning the heat on medium. She places the salt, pepper, flour, garlic, and other seasonings in a bowl, beating the two eggs in another.

When she finishes with that, she shows him how to dip the chicken breasts in the egg wash, coating both sides in a thin layer, before moving it to the dry mixture. Once it is coated, she brings it over to the skillet that is now hot. It sizzles and she tells him to try. He has some difficulty holding the wet breast, but she laughs and cheers when he gets it in the skillet. He smiles and they high-five each other.

She gets out a small pot and places the green beans inside with some butter, turning it on low. He starts cutting things for the salad and she flips the breasts before reaching for the potatoes and rinsing them off. She melts some butter in the microwave and brushes some of it on each potato. She finds the aluminum foil and wraps each potato in it, sticking them in the microwave as well. After ten minutes, the salad is ready and the chicken is almost done.

She puts the potatoes that are in the microwave on for three minutes. By the time they finish, the chicken is ready. He places three plates on the counter and she places one breast on each, divides up the green beans between them, and grabs a baked potato for each of them. She knew Keith probably wouldn't eat much, but she'd fix him a plate anyways. Henry scoops some salad into three bowls and takes the plates to the table in the living room.

"I'll get Keith," he says and she nods. She goes to work on putting things away. She dumps the rest of the dry mixture and puts the rest of the egg into the trash. Then, she takes the skillet, still hot, and rinsing it until it cools before squirting some soap onto its surface. She begins to scrub at the bottom of it, cleaning it with ease. She cleans the other pot and two bowls. "You didn't have to do that," she jumps at Henry's voice. She shakes her head.

"I don't mind," she responds. Keith is standing behind him and he gives her a smile.

"Starting on the servitude already? Nice," he comments and she flicks a towel at him. He catches it and smiles.

"Go on and eat," she tells them. They shake their heads and go into the living room. But, after a few minutes, Keith comes back in and wraps his arms around her.

"You shouldn't be cleaning, or cooking. You're not a slave," he tells her and sounds bothered. She turns and looks at him.

"I don't mind doing either. I'm indebted to your dad for letting me stay. It's the least I could do." He sighs and she smiles, kissing his jaw. "Now, go, so I can finish." He shakes his head and walks back into the living room.

When she finishes, she wipes away a bead of sweat and finds three glasses in the cupboard, going over to the fridge to grab drinks. She finds all sorts of drinks and smiles. Hoping they won't mind, she pours herself some Mellow Yellow.

"What do you guys want to drink?" She calls out.

"Dr. Pepper!" She hears both call back. She laughs.

She pours them their drinks and grabs all three cups, carrying them to the living room. They look up when they see her and Keith gets up and take two of the cups from her hands.

"I could manage," she says, bristling a bit. He gives her a smile and they sit down.

**ooo**

Having her in his house, sitting next to him, was like a dream. He kept glancing over to make sure she was still there.

He didn't eat much and was disappointed that he couldn't. She was a wonderful cook.

Afterwards, she cleared the table. When she comes back, she is carrying three small plates and forks with something delicious-smelling on them.

"When did you make this?" He asks in surprise. She smiles secretively.

"Wouldn't you like to know? It's cinnamon roll bread," she continues. He cuts into it and lets out a small moan of enjoyment.

"This is really good, Natalie," his father comments and she smiles.

"I'm glad you like it. There's more on the counter if you would like more later. And I wrapped up the rest of your plate and put it in the fridge," she tells him, giving him a smile. He shakes his head in wonder.

When they all finish, she grabs the plates and heads back into the kitchen. He grabs the cups and follows her. He hears his father putting the tv on and smiles to himself. She turns the water on and starts to wash the plates. He comes up on her right and holds out a hand. Curious, she hands him the soapy plate and watches as he rinses and dries it, placing it in the cupboard.

"You don't have to help," she says quietly, washing another plate. He shrugs.

"I don't mind."

They continue in a companionable silence. When they finish, their hands are pruny from the water. She dries the counter and sink and wraps the bread in aluminum foil, placing it in the microwave to stay fresh. He holds out a hand and she places hers in it. He gives her a smile and brushes a lock of her hair behind her ear.

**ooo**

Her heart hammers in her chest and she wonders if he can tell. Her eyes lock onto his and the world melts away. She gets lost in his blue-hazel eyes, the warmth and teasing in them. They lean towards each other ever so slowly. When their lips are a hair away, her eyes flutter closed...

"_Whoo! That's what I'm talking about, baby!_"

They jump apart and she blushes. He gives her a smile and they walk into the living room where Henry is watching a football game. He looks up at them and clears his throat. She can't help it. She doubles over, laughing. When she is composed enough, she wipes the moisture away from her eyes.

"You alright, partner?" Keith asks. She nods.

"You know, you kids don't have to sit here with me," Henry says, but she knows that they both can see how badly he wants them to. So, they sit down on the loveseat while he sits in the recliner. He explains to rules to her because the purpose had always eluded her and, by halftime, she was cheering along with him.

When the game ends, he turns off the tv and turns to them.

"I'm going to bed. Goodnight," he tells them.

"Goodnight," they respond. He smiles and goes into his room, closing the door. She turns to Keith and his head is resting against the back of the loveseat, his eyes closed. She nudges him gently.

"Hey, partner," she says and his eyes open. He gives her a smile and she stands, pulling him into a standing position. They walk into his room and he lies on the bed, watching her while she opens up her bag and pulls out pajamas. "I'll be back," she says and he nods.

When she returns, self-conscious, he is sitting up, in nothing else but a pair of sweats. Heat rises in her face and she bites her lip. He stands and smiles at her before walking into the bathroom. She hears the faucet running and the sound of pills. She swallows and sits on the bed, waiting for him. When he comes back, his face is paler and he gives her a tight smile before sitting on the bed and laying back, letting out a painful breath. Unsure, she bites her lip again waits for him to speak.

"What? You afraid, partner?" He teases and she gives a smile before nodding. His brow furrows. "What are you afraid of?" She takes a deep breath and picks at a seam on the bed cover.

"Hurting you, or making the pain worse...Saying the wrong thing..." Her voice trails off and she looks down. She feels movement, then his hand cupping her cheek, bringing her face up to his. He rests his forehead on hers and she shivers.

"I shouldn't have said what I did earlier," he tells her.

"I-I know why you said it."

"I still shouldn't have. Natalie, you're giving up your life, don't you see that? You're giving up your popularity, your friends, probably even your future...For me. I mean, I _knew _you'd come around sooner or later..." He stops when she pinches his arm.

"I forgive you," she tells him. "And, it wasn't much of a life to give up. Honestly? You're so much more important than any of that," she whispers, feeling embarrassed at having admitted so much. _Way to go, Dirt for brains! He only __**likes **__you, he doesn't have any other feelings than that! And you don't even know if he likes you..._

He sighs and leans back. She feels cold and wraps her arms around herself. The warm feeling inside her slowly disappears. She moves to stand up and he grabs her wrist.

"Where you goin', partner?" He asks and she can't meet his eyes.

"I was...I was gonna go and..."

"Stay." She looks up and his eyes are pleading. She swallows. She lays down beside him and he turns towards her. She faces him and he lifts her head so that he can lay his arm underneath it. "What are you thinking?" She shrugs and shakes her head. He raises an eyebrow. _I'm falling in love with you..._

"It's so weird being in a guy's bed," she says instead. He smiles.

"Of course that's what you're thinking," he replies.

"So, this is your room," she begins, turning to lay on her back. She looks around, seeing the little things that make it _his_.

"Yep," he replies. She sees a jar of bottle caps and lifts her eyebrow. With a smirk, she gets up and walks around, looking at the little artifacts and odds and ends around his room. "Whatcha doing?" He inquires, sounding nervous. She peeks over her shoulder at him and smiles.

"Oh, nothing. Just...Scoping things out," she giggles. She gasps and picks up an old truck magazine. "So, now you _really _have shown you're a truck geek," she teases and she turns to flip through it. He comes up behind her and moves her hair from one shoulder, leaning down to rest his chin on it, resting his hands on her waist. Her heart jumps into her throat and she struggles to breathe normally. "Keith," she says, letting out a breath.

"Yes, dear?" He asks and she smiles helplessly. She places the magazine on the desk and turns around, looking up at him. She swallows nervously and takes a deep breath. "What is it?"

"What you said earlier...To the nurse..." Her throat closes up and she can't speak.

"Wondering if I meant it?" He teases and tears cloud her vision. She nods. He leans close and whispers in her ear. "Don't tell honeybun, but I meant it with all my heart." She closes her eyes as the tears fall. When she opens them he is looking at her. "Why are you crying?" He asks quietly, wiping her tears away.

The words she longs to say fill her head. She can taste them on her tongue, ready to burst out. She wants, no, _needs _to say them.

"Don't dump on me," she says and he nods. "But...I think..."

"What?"

"I think I'm falling in love with you," she whispers. His hands fall from her waist and he takes a step back. After a minute or so, he sits on the edge of the bed, looking down at the floor. "Say something," she begs after the silence drags on. When he doesn't she bites her lip and nods. "Okay," she whispers to him. She walks towards the door and opens it, walking out and closing it behind her.

She walks outside and lays in the bed of his truck, staring up at the stars. She finds constellations they've gone over and slowly starts to feel better. As the night gets later, the temperature drops and with it comes the rain. A light drizzle that slowly soaks her clothes. Something touches her cheek and she gasps. And there he stands, soaking wet, looking more miserable than she'd ever seen him.

"How...How long have you been standing there?" She asks him. His eyes are sad.

"Come back inside...Please." She sits up and shivers, not realizing how cold she was. She looks up at him and shuffles to the edge of the truck, sliding off and standing. She looks the long way up to his face and gasps.

"_Ohmigod! _You shouldn't be outside in this weather! Get back inside," she says loudly.

**ooo**

The look on her face would have amused if he weren't so upset. He didn't care if he got a little cold. It wouldn't matter in the long run anyways. Still, he allows her to take him inside and wrap a towel around him.

"Don't move," she demands and walks into the kitchen. He hears her moving around and when she comes back a few minutes later, she has a mug of steaming hot chocolate. He sniffs it and raises an eyebrow. "It's mint hot chocolate," she tells him. He nods and takes a sip, his mouth exploding with the flavor. It was different, but so good. She waits until he drinks his full before she walks back into his room, looking for something.

When she finds a shirt, she motions for him to take the one he put on, off. He gives her a small smile and obliges. She tosses him the dry shirt and he puts it on. She points at his sweats and he smirks.

"You sure you want to be around for _that_?" he teases softly. Her blush goes nuclear. "Don't forget, partner, you gotta change too." She looks down, just realizing she is soaking wet.

"Don't look," she whispers and he turns around. He hears her taking off the clothes and the wet splash of them hitting the floor. He hears her ruffling through her bag, her teeth chattering. She mutters something under her breath. He smirks.

"Something wrong?" He asks her.

"I can't find any shorts..." she trails off and he feels her eyes on him. Still smirking, and still turned around, he walks over to his closet and opens it, holding up a few pairs of her shorts.

"You mean _these _shorts?" He asks and she gasps.

"You didn't," she says and he nods.

"Yep. Whatcha gonna do about it?" He asks. She huffs.

"Tell on you," she replies.

"Oh? And, uh, how are you going to get there with no bottoms?" He swears he can hear the steam coming out of her ears.

"No worries...I work best in the nude," she comments. He hears her walking and he turns. The words die in his throat as he sees her in nothing but a wife beater top and underwear. He clears his throat and looks at the wall. He wordlessly hands her the shorts. She takes them from him and puts a pair on.

"Sorry."

"No biggie...I'm kinda tired," she says and he looks up, seeing her rubbing one of her arms. "So, where can I sleep?" She asks hesitantly.

"You want to sleep with me again?" He replies and she bites her lip.

"Can I?" Her unease melts his heart and he goes to her, picking her up and swinging her into his arms. "What are you doing?" She asks breathlessly. He places her on the bed and stands back, wincing as another pain goes through him. He swallows and clenches his hands into fists until it goes away. He sees the concern on her face and gives her a smile.

"It's alright," he tells her. He climbs in next to her and drapes the blanket around both of them. She lies on her side, facing him. He turns the lamp off and faces her, their hands finding each other in the darkness.

"I'm sorry for what I said before," she whispers after a few minutes. "I know it was the wrong thing to say...And now I've ruined things." _How could she possibly think she ruined anything? _

"You've ruined nothing," he whispers back. "I promise." He finds her face in the dark and lifts her chin up, bringing his lips down onto hers. He feels her instantly give in to his kiss and he moves her so she's on her back. He props himself up on his elbows and keeps kissing her. Hesitantly, he feels her arms snake around his neck, pulling him closer.

After a few minutes, he forces himself to pull back. Her breath comes just as fast as his and he smiles. He kisses her forehead and pulls her close to him.

"Good night, partner," he whispers to her.

"Good night, partner."

**ooo**

To say that school was an interesting thing the following Tuesday was an understatement. It was May 20th and they had skipped the day before, wanting to just have a day to themselves, to feel rebellious.

Keith had given her a ride in his truck since she was going back to his house afterwards. People stared. She was horribly nervous and looked it. But when she felt his hand cradle hers, all her worries melted away.

Looking up into his eyes, she feels peaceful. People could say what they wished. She holds her head high and they stroll into the building, their hands entwined for the world to see.

They part ways for first period, but he gives her a smile that stays with her until Chemistry. When she sees him sitting at their lab table, her heart jumps. He senses her and looks up, his own smile dazzling. She sits beside him and he leans in, kissing her cheek.

"Natalie, Keith, so nice of you two to join us," Miles says. She turns and he is smiling at her. He gives her a nod and he hands out the review. With a content sigh, they begin the work.

She should have known, however, that word would get around. And get around it did.

When the bell rang for last period to end, she went to her locker to put her books away.

"So, where have you been?" Her back stiffens at the voice and she forces herself to relax as she puts her book in and closes her locker.

"Raff," she says, gripping her bag and turning to meet his eyes. She swallows and looks around nervously.

"I said," he says, stepping closer, "where have you been?"

"That's none of your business," she tells him. He laughs.

"How isn't it? You're my girl, remember?" He says and he tries to put an arm around her.

"No, Raff. I'm _not _your anything, not anymore. Or didn't you understand that when you took a swim in the fountain?" He grabs her by the arm and yanks her back around.

"I let you get away with that shit because you were upset. Don't you ever turn your back on me, again."

"Let go of me," she hisses. His grip tightens.

"What were you thinking? Huh? Oh, of course, you're gonna give it up to that little shit, you stupid wh..." His words are cut off by her slap. She wrenches herself out of his grip and rubs her arm, already feeling a bruise forming.

"Don't ever talk to me, again," she says. "What Keith and I do is none of your business!" And with that she turns and runs down the hall. When she gets outside, she sees Keith waiting by the truck, pacing. She runs to him. He stops when he sees her and his gaze darkens when he sees how upset she is.

She runs into his arms and he holds her tight against him. He holds her for a couple of minutes before he pulls back.

"What happened?" He asks and she opens her mouth to speak when she hears his voice again.

"Natalie!" She groans and turns around, not caring that people are around.

"What do you want, Raff? How many times do I have to tell you that it is _over_?! I want nothing to do with you!" People are staring and the tears in her eyes threaten to spill over. He comes near and Keith stands behind her, his hands on her waist. Just his touch helps her calm down and she breathes in shakily.

"Get off her, you little fucking _psycho_," Raff spits at Keith. She stiffens.

"Don't talk to him like that," she threatens softly. He glares down at her.

"And what are you going to do about it, huh? What? One guy isn't enough for you, so you gotta have two?" Her face pales and, before she realizes what she's doing, she swings her right hand out and punches him in the jaw. He staggers backwards and looks at her, shocked.

"You tried to rape me!" She yells. "You told everyone here that I came on to you but that you rejected me. You said I was the one who started everything...But when I go and find my little piece of happiness you have to try and ruin that too? I'm not yours...I never was. Why can't you understand that?" She asks. She reaches back and feels Keith's hand slip into her own. He squeezes it in comfort, letting her know he's there if she needs him. She looks at him over her shoulder and he smiles at her.

"It's over, Raff."

"Worst mistake of your life," he spits at her but she shakes her head.

"No...I made that when I let you kiss me at The Brick." He looks around and sees people openly staring and recording. He curses at her in Spanish before storming off. She lets out a relieved breath and turns to Keith.

"You okay, partner?" He asks and she smiles, reaching up to kiss his cheek.

"I am now," she responds.

**ooo**

They're pulling up to the house when he sees the bruise.

"Where did you get that?" He asks her. "Did he do that to you?" she can only nod.

"It's not a first...But it is a last. I'm fine, I promise," she tells him. He tightens his grip on the steering wheel, wanting to punch something. "Keith?" She asks. He looks at her. She kisses him. "I love you. I don't care if you don't, or if you won't say it back...Just know that I do, okay?" She asks and he smiles, his anger dissipating.

"Okay, pumpkin love," he says and she blushes.

**ooo**

Later, when she is asleep, he lays awake. She'd said she loved him. His own father said she loved him. So why did it take her saying it for him to realize it? He'd thought she was in it because she felt sorry for him. Until today, when she'd stood up for him, for them.

He looks over at her, where her head is cradled on his shoulder, and a delicious warmth spreads through him. His eyes close on a wave of emotion. He'd pushed her away because, well...He loved her too. More than anything. He wanted to live for her...But now he knew his time really was limited. Still, he was going to make the most of it.

He kisses her forehead and whispers in the night.

"I love you so much, Natalie Anderson." Saying it to himself he feels everything lock into place. And with a smile, he pulls her closer and closes his eyes, falling asleep to her even breathing.

**Well, It's almost Over..Just Two Or Three More Chapters After This And It's Over...**

**xXxhurting-insidexXx**


	8. Chapter 8

**Well, Here Comes One of The Hrdest Things I Have Ever Written. BEWARE: Tissues May be Needed!**

**Disclaimer: I Own Nothing, Not Keith Or Natalie...I Only Own This Idea, Sadly**

**A Concrete Goal**

**Part 8**

_**Month 6**_

The world is a funny place. Things happen that people never expect.

When the doctor said he had a month to live, she'd thought that they'd have plenty of time. Funny how things don't work out...

Barely two weeks after they left the hospital with his prognosis, he got sick. At first it was just a cough, but then it progressed to night sweats. He couldn't keep down any food or liquid.

She blamed herself. Sitting there in the hospital chair next to him as he sleeps, she still does. If only she hadn't wanted to spend so much time with him. If only, if only, _if only_...All the possible scenarios run through her head. She tries to figure out what she did wrong, how things had gotten so bad. But, of course, she had no answer.

His breathing had become labored the past couple of days and she had worried. He had said it was nothing, just pollen. She hadn't believed him. Two days ago, he blacked out. Her and Henry had taken him to the hospital. He'd been furious when he woke up, hooked to an IV, but calmed when he saw her.

Looking at him now, tears threaten to choke her. He had lost weight, and his face looked sunken in. If not for the heart monitor, she'd have thought he was dead. Every once in a while, he would groan in pain in his sleep. The sound killed her when she heard it. She thanked whatever God there was that he hadn't needed a breathing tube. She knew that he would have ripped it out anyways.

Two weeks.

Two _fucking _weeks.

And neither of them were prepared.

The doctor had taken one look at him and she knew that he wasn't going to live another two weeks. She knew this was his last week. It killed her to her very core.

She looks over at the digital clock and calendar hanging on the wall. June 3rd 2:24 AM.

Henry had gone home for clothes for them, as well as a few hours of sleep. She hadn't left his side. She'd missed school. She hadn't slept. Whenever he woke up, she wanted to be there. And when he doesn't...She would keep her promise.

The tears slide down her face as she looks at his chest moving up and down.

"Hey, partner," he croaks out in a whisper. She looks up, her eyes glistening. He offers her a sad smile. "I'm not ready to leave, yet," he whispers to her. She nods and bites her lip, closing her eyes tightly. She looks down in the envelope she'd been cradling in her hands for the past six hours.

"The principal brought this," she whispers to him, walking over and sitting on the edge of the bed. He opens it with shaky hands and her heart breaks a bit more. "It's your diploma," she tells him, her voice cracking. "Congratulations, partner," she says. "You're officially graduated." He looks into her eyes and cups her cheek in his hand. His skin is cold and clammy, but she doesn't flinch.

"How long...Has it been...Since you've slept?" He asks. She smiles.

"She hasn't slept since you've been here," a nurse says, coming in to check his IV. She smiles at her and pats her cheek in a motherly way. "You're both so brave," she tells them.

"I wouldn't be anywhere else," she tells the nurse. When the nurse leaves, she stares at the wall.

"Natalie..." He whispers. She looks at him. "When I s-said...That you...Were the worst thing...That happened to me?" She nods. "I lied." She looks at him confused. "You are the _best _thing that has happened to me." She holds back tears, biting her lip so hard it bleeds. "Be careful," he whispers, wiping away the blood.

"Sorry," she replies back, grabbing a tissue to stop the bleeding.

"Keith," she begins, trying to find the right words.

**ooo**

"Shh," he comforts her, placing a hand on top of hers, "you don't have to say...anything." He looks into her eyes and sees the hidden pain in them, the love for him that she has. He hasn't said the words to her. He had planned on doing it this weekend, but now he has to wonder if he'll even make it. "But I do." She meets his eyes, swallowing.

"What?" She asks.

He gives a small laugh before looking at her. "Don't dump on me, okay?" She nods. "I love you, baby." If he had been more healthy, he would have laughed and picked her up into his arms, kissing the breath out of her. Now, he can only manage a smile.

"Y-You do?" She asks.

"Why else...Would I push you away?" He asks back, his eyes moistening. "I never wanted...You to see this." She leans forwards and lays her head on his chest. He closes his eyes as he breathes in her heavenly scent. He tries to commit it to memory, as well as every moment they had shared. She was his everything. He just didn't know how to tell her.

The past six months had been the best and worst months of his life. He hated having to hurt her, that that was one of the memories he couldn't get out of his head. But, he had loved every smile, joke, and teasing gesture that had happened between them. She was amazing. Still is amazing. But he knew in another day, he wouldn't even _be_ anymore. No one would say "Keith _is _fun," they would say "Keith _was_ fun."

And he would be leaving behind a lonely father and a broken-hearted girlfriend.

**ooo**

"If you're tired, you can go back to sleep," she says to him, watching him trying to stay awake.

"I don't want to miss any moment I can have with you," he replies. She can see how hard he is fighting to stay awake and it touches her.

"Your dad will be here in the morning, okay? I'm staying right here, I promise. I'm not leaving you, Keith. Not for anything or anyone. I promise, I will be right here," she whispers. He grabs her wrist and pulls her towards him. He lifts up and kisses her. Even now, sick and clinging to life, his kiss sends jolts of electricity through her to her core. "I love you so much," she tells him. "You drove me crazy with your games and your jokes. When we kissed that first time, I knew things were changing.

And when we..._You know_...I knew things were going to be different. But you ran away and I didn't know why. And then I followed Al into a gas station and he told me what you couldn't. Nothing I ever did was out of pity. I did it because I loved you. And when I tried to talk to you after I found out, you wouldn't let me in the door. I wanted to tell you that I understood, that it was okay, that nothing was going to change my feelings. But you wouldn't come outside. And then you came over and said you wanted to go bowling," her smile is sad and happy as she remembers. He watches her as if trying to memorize her face.

"I didn't want to put you through that. That night...I wanted you so bad. But afterwards, reality hit me, and I hated myself." She gives him a smile and kisses his forehead.

"I knew you couldn't resist my wiles much longer," she says to him, teasing him.

"I haven't been able to resist you for years," he admits. Her shock floors her. "In the sixth grade...The play? I tripped you and stepped on your dress, hoping you would notice me. You never did."

"My mom says that she knew I was infatuated with you, but I couldn't see it. She loves you like a son, you know that right?" His answering smile warms her cold skin.

"And my father loves you like a daughter."

They stay like that for some time before the pain medicine kicks in. Once again, he falls asleep. Some of the tension leaves his face and she gives a half-smile. She gets up and goes to the bathroom, leaving the door open so she can hear him, and turns the shower on. She strips and steps into the warm spray.

The shower walls go blurry as tears cloud her vision. And, for the third time, she kneels in the shower, sobbing. She cradles her head in her hands and lets the tears flow freely. A stabbing pain slices her heart wide open and she chokes and gasps for breath. Soon, Keith wouldn't be here. She didn't know when, or why God would do something like this, but that didn't seem to matter to her heart. She couldn't quit blaming herself. What if they hadn't gone to the cliff so many times? What if they hadn't gone actual bowling? What if he had never followed her into the rain? What if? What if? _What if?_

She hated herself and hated the world. She put on a brave face for him, but hated the idea of living in a world where he didn't exist. It was unbearable.

After a little while, she finally got up and washed her hair and body, finishing in five minutes. When she dries herself off and puts her clothes back on, she finds him still in bed, sleeping...And still breathing. Her heart shudders in relief. She goes over to the chair she'd been sitting in and reclines it back to watch him.

**ooo**

When Henry finally showed up, the sky was light and the sun was shining. He gives her a smile and she stands up, accepting his warm hug.

"How is he?" He asks quietly. She bites her lip.

"No change. His breathing is more labored and his voice is more hoarse, but he's been sleeping mostly." She smiles as the morning sun puts some color in his pale face.

"I brought you breakfast," he says, holding up a brown paper bag. She smiles. She pulls out three containers: one with pancakes, one with eggs and hash browns, and one with sausage links.

"You didn't have to do this," she tells him.

"It was no trouble. After everything you've done for him..." His voice cracks and he stops, clears his throat and looks out the window. Her appetite all but vanishes, but she takes a few bites every now and then to make him happy.

Keith wakes up a couple of hours later. She looks at the clock. 11:32 AM. Her breath comes out in a shaky tremble and she smiles at Henry.

"I'll give you guys some time alone," she says. She doesn't meet either of their eyes as she exits the room, closing the door halfway behind her.

She decides to walk around the ward. All around her are little kids and teenagers. But, the walls and floors are brightly colored and everyone is smiling. No wonder they called it Candy Land. She passes by a wall that has a bunch of pictures on it.

_Missed but never forgotten_

She stops and looks at all the pictures that hang there. One in particular catches her eyes: Billy. Her eyes are drawn to his card and she reads the tag. Her breath catches as she sees his death date. He was only 12 years old. Her vision goes fuzzy and she walks backwards until she hits the wall, sliding down it.

Would Keith be on this wall? Would his picture be hung with all the others who had passed on? Would anyone but his father and herself remember him for more than just being the guy with a truck? She holds her hand over her mouth to keep the tears at bay. A flash of pink catches her eye and she turns and looks up into the eyes of a smiling, and _very bald_, five-year old girl.

"Hi," she says to her, sniffling and wiping away the tears.

"Why are you crying?" The little girl asks.

"Because someone I know is very sick," she tells her. The girl looks at the pictures.

"My friend, Billy, passed away a while ago," the girl answers. Her eyes fill again and she watches the girl.

"I met him once," she tells her. "He was very sweet." She nods.

"I'm Anna," she says. "I live here. I haven't been to school, but I watch shows and can read the little books they have here. It's not so bad here, though," she tells her.

"I'm Natalie. But, don't you miss home? Or playing outside?" Anna laughs.

"Sure, sometimes. But I know if I go outside, I will get sick. I'm safe in here," she says, sitting down next to her. "Who are you seeing?" She asks.

"My boyfriend. His name is Keith." Anna's eyes light up.

"Keith? The one with the yellow truck?" She nods and Anna squeals. "He is _so funny_! Once, I fell and hurt my knee. He picked me up and spun me around until we both got dizzy. I forgot about my knee. He's really nice."

"Yea," she chokes out, overcome with emotion. "Yea, he is."

"Do you love him?" Anna asks. She smiles.

"With all my heart. He is very special to me." Anna nods.

"Anna? Oh, Anna! There you are!" They look up as a woman dressed in purple comes down the hallways towards them. "You know you're not supposed to go running off without telling nobody," the nurse scolds gently. She smiles.

"I'm sorry, Nurse Trisha. But she was crying and I wanted to see if she was okay." Nurse Trisha looks over at me and a knowing look crosses her expression.

"You're with Keith?" She asks and she nods, feeling more tears build up. "Alright, Miss Anna, back to your room."

"Yes, Nurse Trisha. Bye, Natalie," Anna says, waving. She waves back and stands, sniffling.

"I'm sorry," Nurse Trisha says. "I lost my son a couple of months ago. He's up there," she says, pointing to the pictures. "His name was Scotty. Such a bright child, so full of life and fun. He went in his sleep." She watches the emotions play across her face.

"How do you, you know..."

"Find the strength to keep going?" She asks perceptively. She can only nod. "Some days, I can't even get out of bed. See, my husband died a few years back, so it was just Scotty and I. Now, it's just me. The hardest days are the ones after you have good days. If you wake up one morning and feel fine, enjoy it, because the next day? You're going to stay in bed just crying for hours. It's getting a bit easier, but I will always hold them close to my heart. That's why I work here, so I can be near them. You know, we offer summer jobs for teenagers who want to have some one-on-one experience with the kids. And, if you do good enough, you can even get a part-time job here as a striper."

"Really?" She smiles at the woman.

"You come talk to me July 19 and I will tell you everything," she promises.

"I will. I'm Natalie...Anderson."

"Nurse Trisha, at your service," she says with an exaggerated bow. Despite the emotions, she giggles. "Chin up, love." She nods and heads back to Keith's room.

When she gets there, he's clinging to his dad's shirt, whispering to him furiously. His dad is crying. Feeling like an intruder, she goes to keep walking but a couple of kids running down the hallway with their toy cars accidentally let one go too soon. She slips on the toy and falls backwards, hitting her head on the floor.

She hears a ringing and turns to the side to vomit. She coughs and groans, putting a hand on her head.

"_Natalie_!" She faintly hears a frantic cry, and tries to open her eyes. A nurse is cleaning up the vomit and she thinks she apologizes, but she can't hear anything over the ringing in her head. Someone is helping her sit up. When she does, she sees Henry with a hand on her shoulder. She tries to smile and he wraps one of her arms around his shoulders, grabbing her around the waist to pull her up.

He grabs her hand that is around her shoulders and supports her with his other around her waist. They walk into Keith's room and she sees him, his face as white as a sheet. The ringing fades and there is only a throbbing left.

"What? Don't act like you've never seen me fall before," she teases gently when she can speak. His concern mellows out a bit as he smiles.

"My crazy, clumsy, wonderful girl," he tells her hoarsely. She blushes, despite the pain.

"Tell the nurses I'm sorry," she says to Henry. "And the little boys too. They didn't mean it, I know they didn't. I don't want them to get in trouble because I wasn't watching where I was walking."

When Henry leaves, she watches Keith. He has some color in his face and his eyes are more alert.

"You scared me," he whispers finally. He leans back and lets out a deep breath. When he does, she notices a slight stutter in his heart. She watches the monitor. Her heart drops and her body goes cold. The stutter happens every thirty seconds. "Come here," he says, opening his eyes. She goes over to him and takes his container of Tic-tacs, popping a few in her mouth. He manages a smile and she sits beside him. He shakes his head. "No...Lay...with me," he begs in a breathless whisper. She obliges. When her head is resting next to his on the pillow, and one of his arms is around her waist, he tries to speak.

"Natalie..." he begins, taking a deeper breath. She hears the stutter again. "I already talked to my dad but...I want you to know that, I love you...So _fucking _much. I never...Deserved you. When I met you...Everything was dark...But...you brought out...a l-light. It was s-so bright...You made me see..." His breath comes a little faster.

"What?" She begs in a whisper, her heart breaking.

"You made me see everything. I loved waking up...with my arms...around you. And...when we made love...I never w-wanted it...to end. Baby," he whispers, turning to look at her. His eyes are clouded with tears and she entwines their hands together. "You were my concrete goal. My last dream..." His eyes flutter close and she grabs his face in her hands, trembling.

"Keith," she pleads. His eyes open. "I know you can't hold on much longer. I want you to know that you were the best thing that ever happened to me. I love you so much it hurts. Waking up each day with you has been the highlight of my life. You are my everything." The tears spill over his eyes and they reach for each other. She feels his ardor, so strong and heady, become softer with each second.

"I'm...s-sorry, p-partner..." He whispers. His eyes close and then she hears the wailing of the heart monitor. Tears fall from her eyes. Denial takes over and she grabs him by the shoulders, shaking him.

"Keith? Keith, wake up! Keith, please! _Keith!_" By now she is screaming, but she doesn't care. She clings to him, needing to feel his warmth. But his skin had already started to cool. A pair of strong arms wraps around her and pulls her from him. Without any words, she turns and screams a sob into Henry's chest as he holds her tight against him. He strokes her hair and back, murmuring to her quietly, but she can't hear him over her sobs.

She thought she was ready, but she wasn't even close. She forces herself to look up at the clock. June 3rd, 2:45 PM. Her body starts trembling uncontrollably. The sobs have quieted to hiccups, but the tears flow relentlessly. Henry keeps an arm around her shoulders, letting her lay her head on his shoulder.

How was she supposed to go on now? He was everything to her. She watches as the nurses close his eyes and turn off all the monitors and equipment. They remove the IV and medicine drip. After ten minutes, they pick his body up and lay it on another stretcher. They go to cover him when she moves.

"Wait," she pleads softly. They look like they are about to refuse until they see her face.

"You can only have another minute," the nurse says. She nods and walks up to what's left of Keith. She feels fresh tears in her eyes as she strokes his face. She would never see him smile, hear him laugh, feel his touch, spend another moment with him, wake up next to him...A tear falls onto his cheek and she kisses it away.

"I love you," she whispers tearfully. Henry pulls her back gently. She turns into his embrace, not trusting herself to watch them take his body away.

After they do, she pulls back and sees that he had watched the entire thing. The tears had fallen from his eyes and in a moment of shared pain, they try to smile.

"He wanted me to ask you if you would help me finish up 'honeybun'...He said he wanted you to take her up to London," he tells her. Her eyes close on a wave of pain. Of course he would. "We'll get through this," he tells her. She opens her eyes and looks into his. They were the same color as Keith's...But his were so different from his father's. Looking into Henry's eyes, she could see the similarities between father and son, but she could also see how different they were.

"I miss him," she says, not caring if she sounds stupid. He just nods.

"That's how I felt about Melissa. I started missing her the minute I found out. I was lucky," he says, making her confused. "I never saw it happen. You, unfortunately, did. I wish I could have spared you that," he tells her gently. She shakes her head.

"I would have hated myself more if I hadn't. It's better this way," she tells him. He rests a hand on her cheek and gives her a smile so heartbreaking, tears fill her eyes again.

"You're so brave, Natalie. You gave my son the strength to fight. You know, he wasn't supposed to make it past February." She gasps and places a hand over her mouth. He nods at her shock. She knew what happened in February. _The kiss_. "I don't know what you did to him...But thank you. You gave me four and a half more months of my son's life. The only reason he stayed alive this long was because of you," he tells her. "So, don't _ever _feel like you didn't do enough, or that you messed up. He fought so hard to stay alive for you, sweetheart," he tells her and she bites her lips hard.

"Than why isn't he here?" She begs in a helpless whisper. "Why did God take him away from us?" He shakes his head and looks so forlorn. She forces a smile and pokes him in the chest. "Well...Now you have _me _to put up with," she tries to joke.

"Thank you," he whispers. "I may never have you as a daughter-in-law," he says, careful when she winces, "but you will always be my daughter from now on."

"And you'll be my dad away from home," she says and he smiles.

"My home will always be open to you, no matter if it's in the middle of the winter, or at four in the morning. Doesn't matter if you're drunk or come to me pregnant...My house is your house. Until the day _I _die, you are family." She nods.

"I think he would have wanted that," she says softly.

**ooo**

When they leave the hospital, they go back to Henry's house. But, when they get there, they sit in the car, not moving or speaking.

She looks over at the yellow truck, still in the same position they had left it, and bursts into tears. Beside her, she hears him holding back sobs with the back of his hand. Helpless, and still in denial, she wrenches open the door and runs over to the truck, flinging open the driver door. Empty. In a daze, she goes to the bed of the truck and lifts up the blanket, revealing the wood panels. Desperate, with tears falling, she runs to the front door and runs inside.

She goes into his room and opens the door, the force of it making it hit the wall. She doesn't wince as she takes in the scene around her. Everything is just as they left it three days ago. Over there, in a pile in front of the bed, are his pajamas that he'd last worn. And, resting against the chair, is his electric guitar that he'd played for her. And, sitting on his desk, is the antique truck magazine she'd teased him about.

Everything is still here...But he isn't. She falls to her knees and crawls over to a shirt on the floor. He was wearing it the day before he went to the hospital. She picks it up, holding it close to her face. She lets out a horrible sound as she breathes in his scent. A scent that she would never smell again. She clutches it to her, screaming.

"Why, God? Why did you take him from me? _Is this your mercy?! Huh?!_" She screams wordlessly, her tears streaming down her face in an endless cascade. When she manages to stop, an empty feeling settles in her. Still clutching the shirt, she crawls onto her side of the bed, turning to face where he would lie. She lays a hand where his would be and closes her eyes, falling into a dreamless sleep, imagining his arms around her.

**ooo**

She wakes up sometime later, happy about seeing Keith again...And then she remembers. Like a cold splash of water, she remembers that there _is _no more Keith. She sits up and sees that the sun has fallen. She looks over at the clock and sees the time: 9:37 PM.

Standing up, she makes her way into the living room where Henry sits, a beer in one hand. He looks up at her approach and her lower lip trembles.

"Daddy," she whispers. He gets up and walks over to her. "He's gone," tears fall down her face. "He's gone."

"I know," he whispers to her, sniffling. "God help me, I know. I'm sorry you're going through this. I'll call your parents," he says and she nods. "Try to get some rest," he tells her. She gives him a look and he just smiles.

She sees the truck keys sitting on the table and reaches for them.

"Don't go far," he tells her. She shakes her head.

"I just want to hear it," she replies. "I...I _need _to hear it..." He nods.

She opens the door and walks over to Honeybun, stroking her cool metal.

"Hey, lovely," she says. "I'm going to fix you up, right as new, okay? Then, you and I are going to go on a little field trip. How does that sound?" She walks over to the driver's side and opens the door, sliding into the seat. She closes the door and cranks the truck up, listening to it rumble. Her eyes squeeze shut painfully. Her hands find the steering wheel and she swears she can feel the heat from him in the leather. She opens her eyes and sees nothing, no light, no fairy, just her hands. Her head falls forward against the steering wheel and she lets more tears fall. So many memories, conversations, aguments...And only she knew what they were about.

When she eventually makes her way back inside, she walks past Henry and goes into Keith's room, laying on the bed and staring at the ceiling. And, for five days, she lays there, remembering.

**ooo**

When Monday finally rolls around, she knows she has to go to school. She looks over at the calendar and sees that it is June 9th. Graduation would be in less than two weeks. With a sigh, she forces herself out of bed and into the bathroom for a much-needed shower.

When she gets out, she finds a pair of jeans and grabs one of his shirts and puts them on. Instantly, she is enveloped in his smell and it brings tears to her eyes.

She sees Henry sitting at the table and he gives her a small smile.

"I was wondering when I was going to see you," he tells her gently. She can see the sadness in his eyes, but there is also bitter acceptance. She knows what she must look like.

"I'm going to try to go to school," she tells him, her voice hoarse from not having talked in so long. "Could we work on Honeybun when I come back?" She asks and he nods.

"Natalie," he says to her when she is about to leave. He hands her a set of keys. The truck keys. "She's yours." Her eyes water and she thanks him.

She gets inside and cranks her up, putting her in gear and driving to school. When she gets there, people stare openly. Some have looks of envy, others of anger. But what she sees mostly? Sympathy. She holds back tears as she gets out of the truck and closes the door behind her. Her legs shake as she takes her first steps inside.

She sits in her first period, staring off into space. And in French, the same.

When she finally gets to Chemistry, she doesn't realize it until she is sitting at the lab tables and the seat next to her is empty. She drops her pencil and tears fall from her eyes. She swallows and her eyes close before opening again. Mr. Miles comes over to her when the bell rings because she'd sat there.

"Natalie?" He asks. She looks up at him, barely seeing him. "When he requested you for his lab partner...I kept saying no to him. But, he fought to have you. I know you're going through a rough time. If there is anything you need, please, don't hesitate to ask."

"Can you bring him back?" She asks, closing her eyes as she remembers their first conversation.

_"See, you're thinking ten years into the future. We don't need Chemistry. We-We need time travel..."_

"If I could, I would. He was one of my more gifted students. I am very sorry, Natalie."

**ooo**

That Saturday they have the funeral. She forces herself to get dressed and make herself look presentable.

She walks downstairs, having stayed at her actual house the night before, and her parents meet her at the bottom. She hadn't cried all morning and her face is drawn and pale. Her mother places a hand on her cheek and sighs.

"Are you ready?" She asks.

"No," she answers, but makes her way out to Honeybun, who was looking greater as each day passed. She looks at the calendar in her planner and sees it is June 14th. It'd been almost two weeks without him. And it felt like an eternity.

When they get to the cemetery, she sees at least twenty cars. She is confused until she sees that not only had the family come, but people from school and the hospital had come as well. She looks over and sees Andy from the body shop and sees Al standing next to Henry. They each give her a small smile as she walks up them.

The pastor walks up to the podium and welcomes everyone for coming.

"Now, before I say the prayer, I believe Natalie has something she'd like to say." All eyes turn to her as she makes her way up to the podium. She swallows hard and looks at the casket, biting her lip and taking a deep breath as she looks up at the sky.

"I guess I should start by saying where our story begins. Not many people know this but, we knew each other in sixth grade. He was always stepping on my dress and tripping me." A few laughs are heard. "But, I didn't remember him. Than, when we became lab partners, I thought he was rude and I wanted to figure him out. He was sarcastic and blunt, and spoke his mind. He would make a joke during a tense situation to ease everything.

Keith slowly became more than just my lab partner. He became a very good friend of mine. Of course, I had a boyfriend at the time, so I couldn't think about him in that way. But, one day something changed. We weren't just friends anymore. And before I realized it, I was falling in love with him. But, I never knew how sick he was. I didn't know until about a month and a half ago. But I didn't care if he was sick. I wanted to be with him. I wanted to make his last days something..." Her voice cracks as tears pool in her eyes. "Something he wouldn't mind being a part of. Keith is my everything. No amount of time will ever change that. I know you're all saying that I'm too young, that I'll get over it. And, maybe in five years, I will try again. But _no one _can ever replace him. No one. There is only one Keith Zetterstrom. And unfortunately, his time here on Earth was far too short. But, he taught me something in the months that I knew him.

He taught me to take chances, to not be afraid of what I don't know or understand. Keith taught me to be free, even when he was caged inside him. To some of us he was a son, a ward, a friend, and even a student," she says with a smile at Miles. "And to another he was a patient and a client," another smile towards Al and Andy. "And to me? Keith was my shining star. He told me that I was his concrete goal, his last dream. And I think it's special that someone can be so brave, even when he has nothing to lose. I will never forget him, and I know neither will any of you. Thank you," she says and walks over to her seat next to Henry.

The pastor takes his place and begins the prayer. And when it is time to place the earth onto the casket, she feels an extra warm wind wrap around her. Instinctively, she knows it's Keith. She closes her eyes and, when she opens them, the feeling goes away, leaving her with an empty ache within.

Later, when they all arrive at the after-funeral dinner, she starts to feel light-headed. She brushes it off, but a weird feeling remains.

**ooo**

Graduation. Supposed to be a happy time, but for her, she wanted to crawl in a hole. She was graduating with Honors, and had been nominated valedictorian. She didn't want any attention or praise for her good work. She just...

With a sigh, she walks over to her mirror. On the top right side is a picture. She looks up at it and sees a photo of her and him. They were making goofy faces. Tears fill her eyes as she looks into his smiling ones.

"I just want you," she whispers sadly.

She goes over to her closet and pulls out the shirt and skirt ensemble she'd picked out for this day. When she goes to zip up the skirt, it gets stuck around her midsection. Confused, she tries again. And that's when she sees it: a tiny bump sticking out.

Her heart stops and she pushes the skirt down, standing in her bra and underwear. She turns to the side and, sure enough, a significant bump is starting to show. Tears fill her eyes. Could it be true?

She looks over at her clock and sees that she has three hours before she has to be ready. Her mind made up, she looks over at her calendar. June 20th. She throws on a pair of sweats and a shirt and grabs Honeybun's keys before running out the door.

She drives to the quick mart and finds what she needs: a pregnancy test. No one questions her or looks at her and she drives straight home, going into the bathroom and using the test.

Three minutes later, she picks up the stick. Two pink lines look back up at her. _Pregnant_. Her hand goes to her mouth and she smiles, despite the ache in her chest. She was pregnant...With _Keith's _child. The thought makes the ache worse, but a giddiness takes over.

She hears her mom in the kitchen and she takes a deep breath.

"Mom?" She asks when she gets into the kitchen. Her mom looks up at her. Her smile turns into a frown when she sees her daughter.

"What's wrong?" She asks. She swallows.

"I have something to tell you," she says. Her mother smiles and comes over to her.

"Well, it's about time you figured it out!" She is shocked.

"W-What? You knew?" Her mother nods.

"Come on, sweetie, I had three of you. I know what a baby bump looks like. And, as much as I'm not happy with you being pregnant so young, I am glad that you have something to make you happy again." The sadness in her mother's voice hurts. "Now, what are you doing here? You gotta tell Henry!" Her face pales and she nods, grabbing the keys and heading back out to the truck.

When she gets there, he is outside working on the other truck. When she gets out of the truck, he offers her a small smile.

"Henry," she begins, hesitantly.

"What's wrong, hun?" He asks. She shakes her head.

"I'm pregnant," she blurts out. He drops the wrench. "And it's...It's Keith's." The tears are back and soon she feels a pair of arms wrapped around her.

"I'm gonna be a grandpa?" He asks. She nods. He hugs her again and kisses her forehead. "Don't you gotta go get ready for graduation?" He asks and she nods. "We'll talk after," he says with a smile, the first ray of light she'd seen since everything had happened.

**ooo**

"...And now, our valedictorian, Natalie Anderson!" The crowd cheers as she steps up to the podium. She looks and sees Henry and her parents sitting there, love radiating through them all.

"Thank you," she tells the crowd, looking over at her graduating class. Helplessly, she spies an empty seat, near the end of the alphabet, and tears mist in her eyes. She clears her throat before speaking. "As most of you know, we lost a fellow student a couple of weeks ago. His name was Keith. Keith Zetterstrom. He was a brilliant and caring person and he is missed very much. This school year was probably one of the craziest and yet amazing years of my life. And it was because of him. So, in honor of him, we have decided to take in a donation for the newly founded Zetterstrom Foundation which gives money to children's hospital all over. And, we would also like to have a wall built in the quad for students whose lives have been lost here at this school, and even in this state.

My fellow classmates, even though the passing of a fellow schoolmate hangs heavy on many hearts here, today is also a day about beginnings and fresh starts. Go not in fear of what you do not know, embrace it for it is something you will come to love. Though I walk through the valley of death, I shall fear no evil. That verse sticks with us today as we journey to different countries and go to different schools, and live different lives. But, we will always have today. Congratulations class of 2008. I love you all." And with that, everyone stands and cheers for her. The tears fall and she smiles as she tosses up her cap. Everyone else follows.

Brooke comes up to her and hugs her.

"I'm so sorry, Natalie. I didn't know. If I would have known Raff was such a skeeze, I would have totally helped you with the Keith thing. I love you, okay? I'm sorry I was so horrible. Forgive me?" She nods and they hug.

When she faces her family, she feels a new warmth spread over her.

_I love you, partner_.

_I love you too._

Even though living without him would be hard, and she would never find anyone else, she would live. If not for herself, than for their child.

She still had a couple last things to take care of, though before she reached it. She'd followed in his footsteps almost. She had talked to Al over the past few days and now understood his strange words. She too had a concrete goal. One that would last her through her days until she saw him again.

With a smile, she strips off her gown, revealing a pair of cargo pants and a gray tank top. She finds Honeybun, all finished and painted, and makes sure the green suitcase is still in the bed. With a sigh, she watches all the happy faces around her and feel wistful. The growing life in her womb would know who his or her father was. She would take care of the child and love it. And, when her time came, she would return to Keith. But not yet.

"Not yet, my love," she says to herself, driving into the sunset towards the cliffs.

**WHEW! Okay, Now It Has Officially Ended and I am Quite Miserable. I Cried Throughout This Entire Story...Anyways, I Love You All.**

**xXxhurting-insidexXx**


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